It doesn't seem possible to condense 3,000 years of history into 32 pages, but Waldman does a creditable job and provides some beautiful artwork as well. Beginning with Moses, Waldman moves quickly to David's designation of Jerusalem as his capital. David's son, Solomon, made Jerusalem a showplace, but eventually the Babylonians overran the city and the first Jewish Diaspora occurred. Later, the Jews returned and rebuilt the city, which has remained their home.

In the centuries that followed, Jerusalem was a holy city for Muslims as well as Christians. Rather surprisingly, Waldman gives only several sentences to the recent strife in the city, and one has the feeling that he's steering clear of controversy throughout. Still, this does give children an idea of the importance of this religious capital, and they will be taken with the evocative watercolor-and-colored-pencil artwork that captures both the physicality of an ancient city alive in its stones and the dreaminess of a place filled with centuries of longing.

Reading level: Ages 9-12