Purim, the Jewish festival celebrating the story of Esther, who used her position as Queen of Persia to save her people from extermination, falls on the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month Adar, which, as it happens, is tomorrow, the tenth of March. I was reminded of this while visiting my public library this past weekend, and selected a few titles from the Purim display in the children's section.

Published in 1987, Esther is actually Miriam Chaikin's second book devoted to the topic, the first being the 1983 Make Noise, Make Merry The Story and Meaning of Purim, which gives both the story of Esther and a history of the festival of Purim. This lovely picture book concentrates on the story itself: how Esther, a beautiful young Jewish girl living in Shushan, the capital city of the Persian Empire, was chosen to be King Ahasuerus' new bride. How, at the behest of her Cousin Mordecai, Esther hid her Jewish heritage, although she remained loyal in her heart. And how, when the evil Haman - the king's chief minister - plotted to have all the Jews in the empire put to death, Esther risked her own life to intercede on their behalf.

I enjoyed Chaikin's smooth retelling of this well-known and well-loved biblical tale, and appreciated the beauty of the book itself, with the text laid out in a lovely font, and decorative initial letters placed at the beginning of each page. The pencil illustrations by Vera Rosenberry have a soft lyrical quality, making this feel almost like a fairy-tale. ( )

A child's version of the story of Esther and Purim