DESCRIPTION
"Will you carry me safely over the water?" asked the child.
"I will carry you," Offero answered.
Then he lifted the child onto his shoulders.
He took his staff in his hand and stepped down into the river.
Offero wants to find the greatest ruler in the world in order to serve him, and his search takes him from a king to the devil to a hermit who he hopes will help him. When a mysterious child asks Offero to carry him over the icy river, he obliges -- and only afterward does he discover the child's true identity. Then Offero's name is changed to Christopher.
Author Margaret Hodges retells with power and simplicity this unforgettable tale of the man who became known as the patron saint of travelers. And illustrator Richard Jesse Watson has created dramatic paintings that perfectly capture Offero's journey and his discovery of the One he sought.
AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
Bank Street College, Best Children's Books of the Year (1999)
Parent Council, Ltd., Selected as Outstanding
REVIEWS
Parade Magazine
"A biblical children's book that tells its story without belaboring its lessons is always pleasant to find, and Brian Wildsmith's Joseph is an outstanding example. Its colorfully detailed paintings of ancient Egypt manage to be imaginative and realistic at the same time. . . The tale has never been more beautifully presented."
Washington Post Book World
"Brian Wildsmith stands high among the international grandmasters of children's books, and his new version of the Joseph story possesses real majesty, depicting with equal wonder the vast emptiness of the desert and the multihued wall paintings and overwhelming architecture of Egypt. . . The Christmas season lasts until Twelfth Night, and a reading of this superb picture book would be an ideal way to conclude the holiday festivities."
Booklist
"Well told and particularly handsome. Wildsmith's ink-and-watercolor artwork has never seemed more polished, his colorings more carefully shaded."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"The biblical Joseph has been basking in Broadway notoriety for some time, but this gorgeous piece of bookmaking may rightly enjoy some basking of its own. Shimmering watercolors with fine pen detailing illumine every exquisite, double-page spread while gold-rimmed pages exude the aura of Egyptian opulence and the story's royal overtones."
Christian Library Journal
"Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, Great Britain's highest honor for picture books, Wildsmith captures the desert locale perfectly through the use of warm colors, even to the endpapers with their muted sunset tones and the hieroglyphics for Joseph's name, while showing the beauty of Ancient Egypt as it must have been not with the artwork worn away from the centuries."
Catholic Parent
"The wonderful story of Joseph with sumptuous illustrations as only Wildsmith can paint. Magnificent!"
Publishers Weekly
"Wildsmith's retelling is engaging and will likely draw children into this ancient tale of sibling rivalry, jealousy and God's love."