David and Goliath

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-A dramatic retelling of an Old Testament story, beginning with Saul's anointment as king of the Israelites. When Saul proves to be unfaithful to God, Samuel is directed to find and anoint a young shepherd, David, to be the future king. Meanwhile, the Philistines' champion, Goliath, challenges the Israelites to send one man to fight with him, but no one volunteers. When David visits his older brothers near the battlefield, he is outraged to see the Israelites filled with fear and battles Goliath himself, armed with only five small stones and a slingshot. Fraser's bold, stylized illustrations depict monumental characters with chiseled features and powerful limbs. (Goliath, in fact, may remind some readers of a superhero action-figure.) The backgrounds are spacious fields of color, empty of all but the most basic details. The pictures heighten the sense of anticipation as events unfold. The illustrations, combined with the more formal language used in the text, create a tale of mythological proportions. While there are many versions of this story available, notably Beatrice Schenk de Regniers's David and Goliath (Orchard, 1996) and Leonard Everett Fisher's David and Goliath (Holiday, 1993), Metaxas's vivid and lengthy retelling is appealing. Mel Gibson provides a fine narration on the audiocassette, accompanied by the music of Branford Marsalis.-Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ