The Rabbi and His Donkey by Susan Tarcov, illustrated by Diana Renjina - ADVISABLE

The Rabbi and His Donkey by Susan Tarcov, illustrated by Diana Renjina. PICTURE BOOK Kar-Ben Publishing. 2023. $20. 9781728445595 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Hamor the donkey is proud that he gets to take Rabbi Moses Maimonides to the sultan's house each day. But one day he is replaced by one of the sultan's fast horses. It seems like a great idea at first but soon the rabbi and the donkey learn a great lesson. 

The Rabbi and His Donkey is a cute story with a good message and nice illustrations told from the point of view of the donkey. This would be a great read-a-loud book to share with children. The story is based loosely on the personal account of Rabi Moses ben Maimon's (or Maimonides) typical day. He was born in Spain in 1135. The historical note at the end of the book adds value to the story. 

A. Snow