Before You Were Born

by Howard Schwartz

Book Overview

Once, long ago, the angel Lailah, who knows all the mysteries of heaven, shared her secrets with you. The moment you were born, you forgot everything. But don't worry, in this book, you will lean... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596430281
• ISBN13: 9781596430280
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 10.1" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 3 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Perfect Baby Gift!

This is a lovely retelling of an old story about the infinite wisdom we all hold inside ourselves, beautifully illustrated. What a great message for kids to be read at bedtime before they drift off to sleep. Thank you, Howard Schwartz for this and all your other books.

Whimsical, Metaphorical, and Stunning

This is a beautiful tale that is sure to captivate any child- or adult with a wonderful imagination. I appreciate the folktale in all of its Rabbic glory. That said, what made me completely unable to move my eyes from the pages were illustrator Kristina Swarner's beautiful images. They alone, are worth the price of the book. Stunning.

Beautiful book for children

What a wonderful book for children. The story is simple yet enthralling. The illustrations are amazing. We have a 5-month old son and he was captivated by the brilliant colors while mom and dad were captivated by the story, as well as the illustrations. This is the kind of book you will want to read to your child for many nights and years to come.

A fantastic book for kids of any age

This is a wonderful book for kids of every faith. The illustrations are stunning and are a perfect addition to Schwartz's poetic text. I've used this as a baby present for parents across the spectrum of beliefs and have heard wonderful responses to it. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

A Beautiful Retelling of a story from Jewish Folk Tradition

Before You Were Born is a beautiful retelling of a story from Jewish folk tradition. It is the story of a soul's journey from the Treasury of Souls in highest heaven to its earthly body in its mother's womb. The luminous illustrations are quite lovely and compliment the text nicely. My children and I really enjoy reading this book together. Not only is it a beautiful story, complete with angels and folklore, but it is a perfect story for initiating conversations about souls and heaven.