A midrash is a type of Jewish story that’s built on top of existing bible text, expanding or explaining the original. The most famous biblical builder is probably Noah, but the Torah gives his wife only the briefest mention. Counting on Naamah, by Erica Lyons, is a fun and empowering modern midrash, a new twist on “his” story, giving Noah’s wife a name—Naamah—a boatload of talents, and an indispensable role in keeping the ark endeavor afloat.
With writing as clever as the main character herself, this book will have families cheering for Naamah as she uses her math and engineering brilliance to tackle some titanic challenges. In this story beautifully illustrated by Mary Reeves Uhles, Naamah helps design and construct the ark, then wraps her brain around another big problem: figuring out the perfect living arrangements and just the right amount of food for transporting passengers who might otherwise eat each other up!
Counting on Naamah reminds us never to count anyone out, because you never know who’ll bring an ocean of valuable skills and ideas to any task.
October 1, 2024