Additional information
by Martha Seif Simpson (Author), D. Yael Bernhard (Illustrator)
A good king is looking for the right words to help his people, rich or poor, deal with life's challenges. Ezra, a humble servant boy, wants to help the king solve his problem. Finally, through a series of mishaps, Ezra hands the king a strange gift--and the perfect words. Many cultures around the world have told versions of this story for centuries. President Abraham Lincoln even included one in a speech. This lively version is adapted from a Jewish source, and it is the great king Solomon who is searching for those precious words to help his people. Author Simpson and illustrator Bernhard once again invite children into the mystery and excitement of another faraway world.
Author Biography
Martha Seif Simpson is the former Head of Children's Services at the Stratford Library, where she worked for 28 years. She is a past chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee and now volunteers at a synagogue library. Martha is the author of What NOT to Give Your Mom on Mother's Day, The Dreidel That Wouldn't Spin, and Esther's Gragger. She lives in Hamden, CT. Find her on Facebook at Martha Kidlit Author and on her website: www.martha-seif-simpson.com.
D. Yael Bernhard is the illustrator, designer, and author of numerous award-winning children's books. She brings a variety of influences to her work, including African art, studies in Eastern and Western religion, and a love of nature that fills her daily life in the Catskill Mountains of NY. Ms. Bernhard is also a fine-art painter, arts-in-ed teacher, and bnei mitzvah tutor. Her Wisdom Tales titles include Never Say a Mean Word Again, The Dreidel That Wouldn't Spin, Esther's Gragger, and Just Like Me, Climbing a Tree. Find her books, illustrations, and fine art at dyaelbernhard.com.
