"Torch in the Darkness" targets "middle readers" but is an exhilerating trip through history for youth and adults alike. The sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of Renaissance Bavaria are so graphically depicted that one cannot help but accompany Dieter, the poor boy who struggles up from filthy poverty to make his dream come true. The characters are well-rounded; the countryside and cities come alive in the mind's eye. Claire Ewart's color paintings are a gorgeous complement to Garinger's elegant writing. That this gripping story is based on a real artifact in Nurnberg, where the reader might hope to go one day and actually see it, is an added delight. Two thumbs WAY up!

Alan Garinger's book is spell binding. His story telling is reviting -- as a writer his presence is "invisible" as he draws the reader into the story. This tale is as historically accurate as it is compelling. We bought this book for our grandchildren and ended up reading it ourselves. We liked it so much we bought multiple copies for the grandkids, assorted friends and one to keep!

Great book! Taught me a lot that I did not know. I purchased this book for my kids and found myself finishing it before they did. Fantastic, authentic detail in the everyday life of the 1500's. Most books of this type gloss over what it was like to live in this era, Alan goes into great detail and gives children (and adults!) such a vivid picture that you can see, hear, taste and smell everything that Dieter does! When an author is able to grab you and put you into the subject's shoes...he is a master at his craft! Highly recommended, from a mother and two kids, 7 & 11! I am disappointed in Amazon not having this book available..it is December and I wanted to purchase another copy for our schools' library.

This is a great alternative to the many King Arthur stories that include lots of violence. It is nice to see another side of the legend, and the story of the young giant being suckled by a unicorn is fascinating. This is LONG, but for kids who are fans of knights and castles, it is not to be missed.

In this book, King Arthur and his knights sailed through a storm and got stranded on an island. King Arthur set out to find someone to help them get their boat off of the sandbar. He found a dwarf in a tall tower, his son who was a giant, and a unicorn. I liked this book because there were many surprises. The tiny dwarf had a giant for a son, and the unicorn was a hero. I would recommend this book to kids who liked the movie "Quest for Camelot."

I recommend this book, and books like this one, to all parents who wish to introduce other cultures to their children. The story is simple and well told. The illustrations are absolutely fabulous and are faithful to the Persian architecture.
If I may respond to the reviewers, folk stories do not always follow the Hollywood goodguy-badguy plot. This story does have morales: We should not get attached to material things because they are not permanent, friendship is more important that diamonds, a little kid can come up with a great idea, great achievements are made by working together.
There is some truth to the legend too. A carpet dubbed as `Bahar of Khosrow' (spring of Khosrow), existed at the Palace of Ctesiphone which is referred to in Persian scripts as the `Arch Palace of Ctesiphone'. The carpet was 450 feet long and 90 feet wide, made for Sassanid king Khosrow and for this reason it was named `Bahar of Khosrow'. In the book, the king character is named "Balash", which was the name of five of the Sassanid kings.
One minor critique though, the Sassanid dynasty was pre-islamic. The illustrations in the book, both the architecture and peoples costumes, are obviously post-islamic. :-)

This beautifully written and illustrated tale for children ages 5 to 10, shows the power of childrens' kindness and ingenuity in a cleverly written story set in ancient Persia. Told like an old folktale, this story engrossed my two boys, ages 7 and 10, who thoroughly enjoyed the rich images the story and the pictures created. A good purchase for home or the classroom studying different cultures.

(I experienced the process of this book's publishing from first draft to first edition). Greenfield's creative intertwining of the Noah's Ark story and her own ordiginal idea provides the reader, no matter what age, with an incredibly enriching and inspiring experience. Karen's brilliance as a storyteller is demonstrated through the story of Sister Yessa, herself. I can't believe this book is out of print. I am dissappointed by the book-buying population.

This is a very fun story with beautiful pictures. My 2.5 year old loves both trains and dinosaurs so I feel very lucky to have found this book!