Whale of a Tale (Scarlett and Sam) - Softcover

Kimmel, Eric A

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1541522176 ISBN 13: 9781541522176

Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing (R), 2019

Synopsis

Scarlett and Sam are back again in a twist on the biblical adventure tale of Jonah and the whale. When the twins take Grandma Mina's special carpet to be cleaned and repaired, they encounter a strange person who steps on the rug and disappears! Scarlett and Sam follow him back through time to ancient Israel, where they find themselves on a ship. Why have they been sent back in time to this ship on a stormy sea? Soon the answer comes. The man is Jonah and they're in the story of Jonah and the whale! Sam and Scarlett know that they must do what the ship's captain cannot--get Jonah overboard--even if that means that they must go overboard, too!

About this title

Review

"Scarlett and Sam are off on another magic carpet adventure (Escape From Egypt, 2015; Search for the Shamir, 2018), this time in the company of the prophet Jonah. When the children take Grandma Mina's centuries-old carpet to be cleaned, the cab driver, Jonah, tells them he is hiding from a very powerful boss. At their destination, Jonah speeds off with the carpet still in the trunk. They try to stop him and immediately find themselves in Jaffa in ancient Judea, where they discover that their carpet has been sold to pay for passage on a ship. They jump onto the ship, where Jonah is aboard, still refusing to obey God's commandment to go to Nineveh to preach forgiveness to the Assyrians who have destroyed Israel and enslaved its people. Jonah wants revenge--not forgiveness. Just like the Bible story, there's an intense storm, forcing Sam and Scarlett to jump overboard with Jonah, and they are swallowed into the belly of a megalodon (the huge prehistoric shark is, after all, a 'great fish'). After myriad dangers and twists, Jonah reluctantly fulfills his duty and the children are safely returned home with a greater knowledge of their Jewish heritage. Kimmel employs modern syntax and references, matching the breakneck pace of the action. Sam and Scarlett are resourceful and wise beyond their years as they deal with an exasperating and stubborn Jonah. Stevanovic's manga-inflected, grayscale illustrations feel both ancient and modern. A lively, magical tale of ancient times with a modern ethos."―Kirkus Reviews

--Journal

About the Author

Eric A. Kimmel has been writing for children for more than 40 years. His more than 100 titles include such classics as Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock and The Chanukkah Guest. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Ivica Stevanovic has illustrated numerous picture books, as well as book covers and graphic novels. He lives in Veternik, Serbia, with his wife, who is also a children's illustrator, and their daughter.

About this edition

• Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing (R)
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1541522176
• ISBN 13: 9781541522176
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 152
• Illustrator: Stevanovic Ivica