Treasure, The
1 Paperback/1 CD (see all formats)

"Storyteller Jim Weiss lends his voice to this read-along of Uri Shulevitz's 1980 Caldecott Honor Book (FS&G, 1979). After dreaming the same dream three nights in a row, Isaac, an old man who lives in poverty, decides to pay attention. He travels to the capital city to find the treasure his dream has told him is buried there. Upon his arrival, Isaac becomes intimidated by the castle guards and hesitates to look for the treasure. After a few days, one of the guards speaks to Isaac and makes fun of his dream, saying that if he himself paid attention to his dreams, he would travel to the cottage of a poor old man named Isaac to look for a treasure buried under his stove. Isaac travels back home, digs under his stove, and finds the treasure. Weiss is particularly good at the accents, and his soothing voice lends itself well to the narrative portions of the tale. One side of the tape has page-turn signals, so new readers can follow along. This will be a fine addition to audio collections for beginning readers."

"What will Isaac bring back from his journey? In The Treasure, Shulevitz evokes a mood of anticipation and urgency through sparse text and luminous yellow backlighting for each illustration. Jim Weiss furthers this sense of expectation in his narration. His slow pacing provides pause to take in the serenity of the white pages and savor the soft palette and detail of Shulevitz's illustrations. Weiss's quiet presentation lets Isaac's thoughts come to the fore, and he adds just the right amount of vocal contrast for the captain of the guards. It is perhaps important in our time to find the opportunity for the repose and reflection that this Caldecott Honor winner brings."

"In this version of Uri Shulevitz's 1980 Caldecott Honor Book, Jim Weiss reads the story in a slow expressive voice, impersonating each character with distinct vocal inflections. Opening orchestral music and background sounds support the mood of this tale about a poor peasant who follows his dream to find a treasure at a faraway royal palace only to discover that the treasure can be found closer to home. Side one contains page-turn signals; side two does not. The beautifully illustrated book and cassette package makes a worthy addition to school and public library collections."