THE ANGEL AND THE DONKEY
adapted by Katherine Paterson & illustrated by Alexander Koshkin
The story of Balaam's ass is a comic item found in the Old Testament, here invested with great solemnity and dread. Balaam, the greedy soothsayer, has been asked by Balak, king of Moab, to lay a curse on his Israelite neighbors. An angel visits Balaam's dreams to warn him off—the Israelites are being watched over by a higher power—but he sets out for Moab anyway, with visions of his reward still in his head. Balaam's ass saves his life by dodging the angel's fiery sword, and Balaam winds up cursing Balak in words that God puts in his mouth. Paterson (A Midnight Clear, 1995, etc.) makes her adaptation fluid and briskly paced; Koshkin's illustrations are lovely, swarming with energy and color. Of particular interest is the afterword, which offers a brief overview of biblical writers and comments on the distinctiveness of Balaam's story. (Picture book. 6-10)