| This novel by an Israel-based author whisks its characters back in
time. In their Tel Aviv apartment, Galit and Gidon venture out of bed
to spin the dreidels in the curio cabinet, but when Gidon mistakenly handles
a block marked "Cronos" (the Greek god of time), the siblings
find themselves transported to the scene of the Maccabees' rebellion against
the Greeks. The historical details are excellent; the plotting runs more
to cliffhanger-style action (as suggested by the cover, showing two terrified
children gripped in the trunk of an elephant ridden by armed Greek solders)
while the prose runs to the formulaic. B&W art throughout. Ages 9-14.
Publishers Weekly
September 23, 2002
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