Synopses & Reviews
Jonah is a reluctant prophet. God asks him to warn the wicked people of Ninevah that He will destroy their city in forty days, but Jonah wants nothing to do with it. What if he stuttered or forgot what to say? Surely God needs someone much more capable to carry out such an important mission. So Jonah tries to run away and hide, but God always finds him. Jonah is swallowed by a great fish who has been waiting since the creation of the world just for this particular occasion, to help change Jonah's mind. But this fish is spacious and well-furnished -- so comfortable, in fact, that it looks as though Jonah will never want to leave! So God orders another, much larger fish to swallow Jonah, and this fish is not so comfortable. Jonah finally relents and the second great fish spits him onto dry land so that he can warn the citizens of Ninevah. The people change their ways in time, but then, when they are not destroyed by God, they accuse Jonah of being a false prophet. When Jonah complains to God about this injustice, God shows him that saving lives is far more important than saving one's pride.
Veteran author-illustrator Mordecai Gerstein relied upon the many legends surrounding the prophet Jonah to flesh out this epic story from the Bible. Like the Bible story they illustrate, his oil paintings seem simple and straightforward upon first glance but contain details that will invite readers back again and again.