A Basket Full of Figs by Ori Elon
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Illustrator: Menachem Halberstadt
‘I plant a fig, I plant a gift. For children, for the coming generations.’
When the Emperor Hadrian gallops into the village, its inhabitants hide in fear. All except one. An old man, almost one hundred years old, comes outside to plant a fig tree.
Hadrian stops his horse. ‘What are you doing?’ he asks the old man. ‘That tree is so small and you are so old!
Surely you won’t live long enough to eat its fruit!’ The old man responds: ‘if I don’t then my children will’.
Three years later, Hadrian returns. Meeting the old man again, he is shocked to see that the tree has grown and it is covered in figs. The old man’s prophecy of gifts for future generations has come true.
Recreating one of the Midrash’s most beautiful tales, A Basket of Figs teaches the importance of caring for the environment and consideration for our fellow human beings. Ori Alon’s enchanting storytelling and Menahem Halberstadt’s stunning illustrations bring this wise fable to life on the page, to inspire and delight young readers.
Year first published: 2019
