Jerusalem Sky: Stars, Crosses and Crescents

by Mark Podwal

Jerusalem–ancient home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims–is blanketed by a sky like no other. According to legend, the Jerusalem sky held off the rains for seven years while King Solomon built his temple. In the Jerusalem sky, the Bible tells us, a rising star announced the birth of Jesus. Through that same wondrous sky, Islamic belief holds, Muhammad climbed to heaven. In our own times, the Jerusalem sky fills with the sounds of worshippers praying for peace in the synagogues, churches, and mosques below. And each year new voices rise up to the Jerusalem sky, where so many miracles have been witnessed.

Genres: Childrens, Middle East

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2005

About the author

Mark Podwal was an American artist, author, filmmaker and physician. He may have been best known initially for his drawings on The New York Times Op-Ed page. In addition, he is the author and illustrator of numerous books. Most of these works—Podwal's own as well as those he has illustrated for others—typically focus on Jewish legend, history and tradition. His art is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Israel Museum, the National Gallery of Prague, the Jewish Museums in Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm, Prague, New York, among many other venues.

Reviews

[Jennifer Lanman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it shows different religions of Jerusalem. Like Christian, Jewish and Muslims. It shows each religion and the miracles like Jesus's birth. Also it talks about how it has been torn apart and rebuilt many times but it is still is loved and called the "City of Peace." It tells the story of how Muhammad climbed to Jerusalem. I think this book could be used in a classroom with a poetry lesson. It depicts three religions and it uses figurative language in it. You could have a figurative language activity using metaphors and similies after it using the phrases from this book. This could be good for 3rd or 4th grade.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful poetry coupled with even more beautiful pen and paint illustrations of different aspects of the city of Jerusalem. This book is so hopeful and so realistic at the same time. The most important city to the Jewish civilization, as well as a holy city to two of the world's largest religions, Christianity and Islam, these illustrations show no separations, but a city where all three faiths find beauty, spirituality, and refuge!

[Hyeonjeong Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Reaction - I feel very peaceful with this book because it is about christian religion and especially the illustrations are pastel colors that makes the book look so calm and stable. Also, it portrays the connection between heaven and the city through the home in the Jerusalem sky. It makes me feel the city holy and enhances me to visit there.

Purposes-
Read aloud to third or fourth graders of elementary school for several potential purposes:
- As this book is related to a specific religion, it might be hard to understand for very young children. Thus, I would read it to third or fourth graders who might begin to think about their religion.
- This book uses many words related to the religion and when it portray the religion, it uses very positive and peaceful words and phrases such as heaven, walls of silver, gates of pearl, and streets of gold.
- The illustrations indicate what each page says. It is highly related to individual pages, so has strong connections between the illustrations and the story. For example, when a page says "Every autumn gust tossing a leaf,~", the illustration right next to the sentence shows how the city looks like during autumn and on the page, leaves are floating on the air.
- Also, between pages, some pages don't have any words. They just show the illustrations. They will give children pauses to imagine the city and feel the peaceful backgrounds.
- Children in this age might just go to church because their parents go. However, with the book, they would have peaceful feelings of the religion and accept it as their religion.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrated with a stunning blend of acrylic, gouache, and colored pencil, JERUSALEM SKY presents the meaning Jerusalem holds for Judaism (stars), Christianity (crosses), and Islam (crescents) in the form of a children's poem. From the focus of the sky, the stories of the Temple of Solomon and the Western Wall, Golgotha Hill and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock are revealed. The reader is bathed in dreamlike descriptions of these holy sites, which although carefully drawn are never directly named.

The text is simple yet beautiful, and the pictures possess a vivid primitiveness that invokes a sense of otherworldliness. The three religions are portrayed in such a balanced and loving manner that it creates the illusion they coexist within the walls of Jerusalem in an incredible peace. This is a perfect book to introduce children to the majesty of Jerusalem without any of the animosity that usually mars it.

[Alisha Ptacek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Reaction-
This book was kind of hard to read. I did think that is was kind of interesting though with its stories on Jerusalem. With Jerusalem being such a major religious city I found this story very interesting. I also really enjoyed the bright colors in the illustrations.

Purposes:
Read aloud to 3rd to 8th grade students for several purposes:
This book would be a good book to read before a religion lesson, specifically one that has an emphasis on Jerusalem.
There are also a few good religion based vocabulary words such as: sages, Temple, synagogue, prophet, and mosque.
This book is written in free verse, so you can use it as a poetry lesson as well.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hard covered book teaches students about the history of Jerusalem. After reading and learning about the three most popular religions in our world, it is important for youngsters to be exposed to the religious issues prevalent across our globe. Students will have early access to religious tolerance. The book shies away from the tension involved with Jerusalem, but rather depicts Jerusalem as a pleasant and peaceful place full of miracles. After reading this book, it is important to introduce the tensions and conflict to students as well.

[Shauna Ludlow Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing message with beautiful watercolor illustrations.