Why The Snake Crawls On It's Belly by Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by Allen Davis
Pitspopany Press, September 2001
ISBN: 1930143206 -Hardbound
Children/fiction/Jewish Religion
Ages 4 - 9

Reviewed by Beverly J. Rowe, MyShelf.com
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Kimmel takes his story from old Jewish texts, and tells us why the snake lost his legs, why he has a forked tongue, and why he sheds his skin. Allen Davis provides a marvelous visual feast with his colorful illustrations on every page.

The story starts with God's creation of the world. All God's creatures loved Adam and Eve except Nakhash, the snake, who was the cleverest and most beautiful of the animals. He walked on his hind legs like Adam and Eve. But he wasn't happy, because
God's favorites were Adam and Eve. Nakhash thought he could trick Adam and Eve into disobeying God, then he would be God's favorite.

When Nakhash convinced Eve to commit the first sin, and she ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, the stairway to heaven crumbled, and they could no longer mount the ladder to heaven and sing with the Angels. God was very angry with Nakhash and decreed a fitting punishment, but he also gave the snake a special power.

What a wonderful, uplifting jewel of a book. Kimmel tells the story in wonderful lyrical prose that along with the beautiful, full color illustrations, lead you from page to page toward understanding of the legend. While It's a Jewish story, all children will love this book and want to read it again and again.