WITH A MIGHTY HAND. Text copyright © 2013 by Amy Ehrlich. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Daniel Nevins. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

 “With a Mighty Hand: The Story in the Torah,” adapted by Amy Erlich, paintings by Daniel Nevins; Candlewick Press, $29.99, 224 pages, all ages.

Award winning author Amy Erlich decided to tackle the Torah and render it accessible for children, or anyone interested in reading a new interpretation of this ancient story. Here she has managed to condense the five books of the Hebrew Bible into a single, flowing narrative. When Erlich began the project, her goal was to ‘follow the thread of the story’ by keeping the text as clear as possible without being mired in complexity and contradictions. Her mission was a success; simple, powerful words, with lots of white space in the background make for easy reading.  Bringing the people and places to life is painter Daniel Nevins in his debut as a children’s book illustrator. The pigment-laden images capture a world that existed over 5,000 years ago, yet are still exuberant and emotional.  With a Might Hand would be a lovely gift for a budding religious scholar or for children just starting Torah study.