This is part of a com bined review for Max and Emma Cross the Red Sea.

Easy-to-read lan guage and col or ful illus tra tions make these two time-trav el adven ture tales based on sto ries in the Torah excel lent intro duc tions to bib li cal char ac ters. Pro tag o nists Max and Emma use a home-made time machine to trav el to ancient times, where they par tic i pate in events they have only learned about in Hebrew school.

In the first book, Max has lit tle patience for his class mate Emma. When Max finds him self in Abra ham and Sarah's tent along with three mys te ri ous strangers, he learns an impor tant les son about hos pi tal i ty and about the prop er way to greet and inter act with strangers. When Max returns, he is kinder and more accept ing of Emma, and the two start to become friends. A Note for Fam i lies is append ed, sum ma riz ing and extend ing some of the lessons Max has learned dur ing his time trav el experience.

In the sec ond sto ry, Max and his fam i ly are prepar ing for the Passover seder, and Max devel ops a case of stage fright while con tem plat ing singing the Four Ques tions. This time, his new friend, Emma, and her poo dle, Kelev, accom pa ny Max on his time machine adven ture. They arrive at the Red Sea short ly before the Israelites are ready to plunge into the water in order to escape the Egyp tians, who are chas ing them and who hope to rein state them as slaves. They meet Nachshon, the first of the Israelites to brave the sea before it splits, allow ing them to pass in safe ty. Max learns some impor tant lessons about brav ery and that through out his to ry, pub lic speak ing has been a daunt ing task for many, includ ing Moses. Anoth er Note to Fam i lies append ed to the sec ond sto ry encour ages chil dren to face and over come their fears.

Both books are fun to read and help chil dren and their fam i lies think about bib li cal sto ries in a new light, draw ing atten tion to con nec tions in their own lives, which will help them become kinder and more con fi dent as they mature. Schools and par ents will wel come this series as part of a larg er con ver sa tion about Jew ish and gen er al val ues that affect chil dren's dai ly lives. --Michal Malen, The Jewish Book Council