Melanie Hall – illustratör

A family celebrates the fall holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah by building a sukkah, dancing with the Torah and other Jewish holiday customs. Chagall-like illustrations by Melanie Hall.

In this adaptation of the creation story, God creates desert canyons and riverbeds as a potter would, the leopard''s spots and the zebra''s stripes as a painter would, and the voices of laughter as a musician would.

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth...But something was missing...”

Before creating humans, God said, “Let us make humans in Our image, after Our likeness.” In this playful new twist to the Genesis story, God asks all of nature to offer gifts to humankind—with the promise that the humans would care for creation in return.

Then, woman and man were formed from the dust of the earth, in the image of God and in the image of all of nature. And it was very good, indeed.

Whether you’re large like the whale, small like the ant, lazy like the lizard, or busy like the bee, this spirited story with its lively illustrations celebrates the interconnectedness of nature and the harmony of all living things.

Winner of The Best of the Bunch from 1998 award by the Association of Jewish Libraries

A 1999 Top 10 Religion Book for Youth by Booklist

Nondenominational, Nonsectarian, Endorsed by Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish Religious Leaders

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth...But something was missing..."

Before creating humans, God said, "Let us make humans in Our image, after Our likeness." In this playful new twist to the Genesis story, God asks all of nature to offer gifts to humankind―with the promise that the humans would care for creation in return.

Then, woman and man were formed from the dust of the earth, in the image of God and in the image of all of nature. And it was very good, indeed.

Whether you're large like the whale, small like the ant, lazy like the lizard or busy like the bee, this spirited story with its lively illustrations celebrates the interconnectedness of nature and the harmony of all living things.