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The Language of Angels: a Story about the Reinvention of Hebrew
In 1885, few Jews in Israel used the holy language of their ancestors, and Hebrew was in danger of being lost--until Ben Zion and his father got involved. Through the help of his father and a community of children, Ben modernized the ancient language, creating a lexicon of new, modern words to bring Hebrew back into common usage.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 9, 2018
I’ve always been interested in languages and linguistics. I thought that the Hebrew spoken today was the original Hebrew from Biblical times. What I forgot was that new words had to be invented for new ideas and things developed since Biblical times. How did that happen? Michelson tells the story of how one man, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, cleverly made it happen. The process of developing new words was fascinating, and Eliezer spent years writing a new dictionary of modern Hebrew, of which volume one was first published in 1908. I don’t know if this book will appeal to every kid, but those with a Jewish background or an interest in language may find it fascinating, as I did. Recommended.
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June 15, 2018I found a text-to-self connection in this book. My grandfather Al, is the son of Czech immigrants and didn't speak English until after Kindergarten since all he spoke was Czech at home in South Omaha. Whenever he is at a family gathering the younger generations will bring him Czech texts that are important to our family to read aloud in English because the rest of us still don't know Czech. Once my grandpa Al took me and my brother to an old abandoned cemetery on his farmland. The cemetery just so happened to have both Czech and Jewish graves. He took us there so he could read the Czech gravestones to us. Just in case you were wondering, my family isn't related to any of the corpses there. I think there is something about Czech words etched in stone that have literally sat unchanged for over 2 centuries that comforts my grandfather in an everchanging Omaha. My point is that language is so important to every culture and it should be fought for at all costs. Just like Eliezer Ben-Yehuda did for Hebrew.
April 7, 2021
Got this from PJ Library, my grandmother signed up my son a few years ago. Arrived in the mail today and we read it over lunch. I am embarrassed to say I had NO IDEA of the history of Hebrew. This book was really informative, and kept both myself and my 7 year old engaged and wanting to learn more.
April 6, 2017
Interesting read...krb 4/6/17
March 12, 2018
The main character found a way to bring his language into the society that he lived in today. He refuses to let his customs and language die, so he incorporates it into things into todays language to keep it alive. This shows how people bring their own cultures and bring them together.
September 1, 2018
This book is based on the autobiography of Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda (later calling himself Itamar Ben-Avi), whose father was instrumental in creating modern Hebrew in Israel. While the dialogue is invented, the story, according to the author’s Afterword, follows the general framework of the history later written by Ben-Yehuda.
Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda was born in Jerusalem on July 31, 1882, the son of Deborah and Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. As a young boy, Ben-Zion spent most of his time alone, because he did not speak the same language as any of the children living nearby. His father wanted Ben-Zion to hear and speak only Hebrew, “the Language of Angels.”
In the 1880s, Hebrew was only used in scripture and religious rituals. Eliezer decided to start a school with all lessons taught in Hebrew. There was some protest from others in the community: why should they not speak Yiddish? They already knew that tongue, and besides, “Hebrew is holy and should be used only for prayer.” To use Hebrew for everyday activities seemed profane and inappropriate to them.
Eliezer argued that Yiddish was the language of the ghettos, where they were not free. He created a dictionary for Hebrew words, including many he had to make up to represent modern ideas and objects. The first volume was published in 1908. As the author explains in his note, Eliezer studied ancient languages related to Hebrew for sources, so the words would have logical roots.
In the text, Michelson explains how some of the new words came about, such as the words for ice cream and bicycle.
The Afterword also tells us that during Eliezer’s lifetime, fifty-five schools opened in Israel with all instruction conducted in Hebrew. By 1948 when the state of Israel was established, Hebrew was the national language.
The illustrator, Karla Gudeon, created vibrant and kid-friendly digitized watercolors in a folkloric style that show the words by what they define, as well as depicting them as building blocks.
Evaluation: It is so interesting to see how a new language gets established. The author manages to simplify the process in a way that makes it understandable to a young audience. Adults will have much to discuss with children who read this, such as the role language plays in uniting a community, and the way it needs to evolve and grow to remain relevant. There are also philosophical issues to consider: was it fair of Ben-Zion’s dad to insist he not talk to other children until those children learned Hebrew?
Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda was born in Jerusalem on July 31, 1882, the son of Deborah and Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. As a young boy, Ben-Zion spent most of his time alone, because he did not speak the same language as any of the children living nearby. His father wanted Ben-Zion to hear and speak only Hebrew, “the Language of Angels.”
In the 1880s, Hebrew was only used in scripture and religious rituals. Eliezer decided to start a school with all lessons taught in Hebrew. There was some protest from others in the community: why should they not speak Yiddish? They already knew that tongue, and besides, “Hebrew is holy and should be used only for prayer.” To use Hebrew for everyday activities seemed profane and inappropriate to them.
Eliezer argued that Yiddish was the language of the ghettos, where they were not free. He created a dictionary for Hebrew words, including many he had to make up to represent modern ideas and objects. The first volume was published in 1908. As the author explains in his note, Eliezer studied ancient languages related to Hebrew for sources, so the words would have logical roots.
In the text, Michelson explains how some of the new words came about, such as the words for ice cream and bicycle.
The Afterword also tells us that during Eliezer’s lifetime, fifty-five schools opened in Israel with all instruction conducted in Hebrew. By 1948 when the state of Israel was established, Hebrew was the national language.
The illustrator, Karla Gudeon, created vibrant and kid-friendly digitized watercolors in a folkloric style that show the words by what they define, as well as depicting them as building blocks.
Evaluation: It is so interesting to see how a new language gets established. The author manages to simplify the process in a way that makes it understandable to a young audience. Adults will have much to discuss with children who read this, such as the role language plays in uniting a community, and the way it needs to evolve and grow to remain relevant. There are also philosophical issues to consider: was it fair of Ben-Zion’s dad to insist he not talk to other children until those children learned Hebrew?
December 26, 2017
Michelson, Richard The Language of Angels: A Story About the Reinvention of Hebrew Illustrated by Karla Gudeon. Unpaged. Charlesbridge, 2017. $16.99. NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK
When Ben-Zion was a young child, living in Jerusalem in the 1880s, his father, Eliezer, didn't want him to hear any language other than Hebrew, even though Hebrew was only spoken at that time in the temples. Some even considered it blasphemy to use it in day-to-day life, and ridiculed Eliezer's wishes to start a school conducted entirely in Hebrew. He was not deterred. He realized that he needed to teach the children first and let them teach their parents. By comparing lots of similar words in Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, and other languages, and with the help of Ben-Zion and other children, Eliezer began creating new Hebrew words for items and ideas that didn't exist during the biblical era, such as ice cream, dictionary, and bicycle. Children competed to make up new words, and they taught their parents. Over time, teachers started teaching Hebrew at school.
The author shares an interesting little-known story about how Hebrew came back from the dead, largely through the efforts of one man, by focusing on his young child's unique linguistic experience. Though it contains made-up dialogue, the story follows the general facts as shared through the writings of Eliezer and his son Ben-Zion, as explained in a three-page section at the end. This section also adds additional details about the history of Hebrew and Palestine, and the lives of Ben-Zion, Eliezer, and his wife Deborah. Speakers of Hebrew in daily life has grown from zero, when Eliezer moved to Jerusalen in 1881, to more than three million today. Share this story with curious second through fifth graders as an excellent example of how one man's vision can change the world.
EL - ADVISABLE. Reviewed by P. K. Foster, MLS, teacher-librarian
When Ben-Zion was a young child, living in Jerusalem in the 1880s, his father, Eliezer, didn't want him to hear any language other than Hebrew, even though Hebrew was only spoken at that time in the temples. Some even considered it blasphemy to use it in day-to-day life, and ridiculed Eliezer's wishes to start a school conducted entirely in Hebrew. He was not deterred. He realized that he needed to teach the children first and let them teach their parents. By comparing lots of similar words in Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, and other languages, and with the help of Ben-Zion and other children, Eliezer began creating new Hebrew words for items and ideas that didn't exist during the biblical era, such as ice cream, dictionary, and bicycle. Children competed to make up new words, and they taught their parents. Over time, teachers started teaching Hebrew at school.
The author shares an interesting little-known story about how Hebrew came back from the dead, largely through the efforts of one man, by focusing on his young child's unique linguistic experience. Though it contains made-up dialogue, the story follows the general facts as shared through the writings of Eliezer and his son Ben-Zion, as explained in a three-page section at the end. This section also adds additional details about the history of Hebrew and Palestine, and the lives of Ben-Zion, Eliezer, and his wife Deborah. Speakers of Hebrew in daily life has grown from zero, when Eliezer moved to Jerusalen in 1881, to more than three million today. Share this story with curious second through fifth graders as an excellent example of how one man's vision can change the world.
EL - ADVISABLE. Reviewed by P. K. Foster, MLS, teacher-librarian
May 4, 2018
The Language of Angles: The Reinvention of Hebrew by Richard Michelson has won The Sydney Taylor Book Award. This story discusses a boy growing up in Jerusalem who only heard and spoke Hebrew. There is much controversy in his neighborhood and in his religious community over the fact that he is to only hear and speak Hebrew which is considered to be the language of angles. The illustrator uses a multimedia approach to creating realism illustrations that are fairly light and vibrant in colors. When the illustrations take on one page the other side holds that text, however, it is normally not surrounded by negative space, but decorated with Hebrew letters written in a way they become art. I think this book is extremely important for students to read to get a better understanding other cultures and religions the may have never experienced. I could see this book being used with children by inviting parents in to share their favorite book or using it to start a discussion about other life experiences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2022
Hebrew began to die out as a daily spoken language around 200 BC. Jews spoke the languages of the countries and peoples in which they were dispersed to, and Hebrew was used only in the temple from that point onward, and its vocabulary never expanded beyond that time. In 1881, when Eliezer and his family move to Israel, Eliezer wanted to raise his son, Ben-Zion to only hear and speak Hebrew, the language of angels. This was a great challenge as no one spoke Hebrew as their main language, and Ben-Zion had no one to speak with. To remedy this, Eliezer started writing a Hebrew dictionary in 1908, creating new words in Hebrew. Soon enough, people started to use this Hebrew dictionary, and eventually schools were established to teach in Hebrew. By 1948, when the state of Israel was established, Hebrew was the national language.
It's pretty amazing to think how one person brought about the revival of a whole language.
It's pretty amazing to think how one person brought about the revival of a whole language.
February 11, 2018
A picture book biography of Ben-Zion whose father in 1880s Jerusalem was on a campaign to make Hebrew a living language again after thousands of years of being stagnant and only used for prayers or scripture reading. Ben-Zion's father went to extreme measures to make sure he only heard and spoke Hebrew, and the book tells about that as well as how he and his father worked to create new Hebrew words for modern inventions.
Ben-Zion's father sounds a little hard to live with, but in the end, he did make a lasting impact on Jewish culture in succeeding to make Hebrew a living language again. An important book for Jewish history and culture studies. Also an interesting read for linguistic studies.
Ben-Zion's father sounds a little hard to live with, but in the end, he did make a lasting impact on Jewish culture in succeeding to make Hebrew a living language again. An important book for Jewish history and culture studies. Also an interesting read for linguistic studies.
January 6, 2018
Summary: Ben Zion is only allowed to hear Hebrew, but no one else speaks it. How will he find friends and still help bring back the language of the prophets. (Nonfiction)
Why I Read This: I liked the illustrations and was intrigued by the content.
Review: I liked it. I liked the story and the resolution. I enjoyed the parent's resolve, and even when I feared defeat for their dreams, the ending was great.
Why I Read This: I liked the illustrations and was intrigued by the content.
Review: I liked it. I liked the story and the resolution. I enjoyed the parent's resolve, and even when I feared defeat for their dreams, the ending was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2018
How Elizer Ben-Yehuda revived a dead language and wrote the first Hebrew dictionary-inventing some words along the way. Book has bits and pieces of Hebrew mixed in. His son Ben-Zion, later Ben-Avi, grew up speaking only Hebrew although no one else at the time could speak it. Ben Avi also was the inventor of his own language, Esperanto, which was meant to be a universal language, so the whole globe could communicate.
May 19, 2017
Michelson tells this complex story well, making the young Ben-Zion's point of experience at the center of the story which works nicely for the audience. Extensive back matter provides much additional information. I also liked Karla Gudeon's lively and colorful illustrations.
March 2, 2020
An elemntary picture book biogrpahy of Ben-Zion whose father allowed him to speak and har nothing but the Hebrew language as a child. Together they helped bring the langauge into more conversations and create new words.
October 24, 2020
Imagine single-handedly reviving an ancient language. And ruining your child's social life in the process.
Kidding. Sort of.
I loved by Richard Michelson. I was eager to read something else by him.
As someone who's dipped in her toe into Hebrew, I can attest that it's tricky. Makes sense now. It's cobbled together! I guess that can be said about most languages, though...
This was an enjoyable history lesson. Beautiful illustrations by Karla Gudeon. It would make a good biography selections for upper elementary.
Kidding. Sort of.
I loved by Richard Michelson. I was eager to read something else by him.
As someone who's dipped in her toe into Hebrew, I can attest that it's tricky. Makes sense now. It's cobbled together! I guess that can be said about most languages, though...
This was an enjoyable history lesson. Beautiful illustrations by Karla Gudeon. It would make a good biography selections for upper elementary.
March 15, 2017
Fascinating look at the creation of modern Hebrew! Highly recommended for grades 2 & up.
June 6, 2017
Excellent picture book for any person interested in the history of the Hebrew language.
January 13, 2018
Really interesting picture book about the reinvention/revival of Hebrew as a modern language. There's a lot of fascinating stuff here!
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May 25, 2020Part of my nascent education as an aspiring picture-book writer.
April 10, 2021
A cute book for children, and to help them understand the story about the language Hebrew.
It's nice to see books teaching about culture to children.
It's nice to see books teaching about culture to children.
August 26, 2021
What a strange story…or maybe it’s the father that’s strange. I’ll need to read more stories about Jews and Hebrew. Maybe then I’ll understand.
July 16, 2025
Loved this book, telling a short version of the story of Modern Hebrew, and how it became a language that Jews from all over the world could speak together!
October 2, 2017
First sentence: Once there was a child without a friend. Two boys his age lived nearby, but they spoke Yiddish. In the morning they said "guten tog" to each other.
Premise/plot: Set in Jerusalem in the late nineteenth century, Language of Angels is a picture book about the reinvention of an ancient language: Hebrew. Ben-Zion's father Eliezer wanted his son to only speak Hebrew. The problem was no one spoke it as a living language, a common, everyday language. What Hebrew was known were the formal holy prayers that had been passed down for ages. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda zealously sought to bring back a language starting in his own home and then spreading elsewhere. It was a big dream, but this is a happy story! Teachers can be incredibly passionate and determined!
Readers see how Hebrew grew as a living language once more. Since new words had not been added in almost eighteen hundred years, it had some catching up to do! But this process was thoughtful, deliberate, and logical. I also imagine it was fun! The book says children helped him in this process.
Also of note, it was children not adults he was interested in teaching!
My thoughts: I really loved this picture book for older readers. The book is well researched; it includes an author's note providing much more information. The story has a personal touch. The family was fascinating in my opinion! There are enough details to make it interesting and compelling, but not in a dreary, fact heavy way.
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
Premise/plot: Set in Jerusalem in the late nineteenth century, Language of Angels is a picture book about the reinvention of an ancient language: Hebrew. Ben-Zion's father Eliezer wanted his son to only speak Hebrew. The problem was no one spoke it as a living language, a common, everyday language. What Hebrew was known were the formal holy prayers that had been passed down for ages. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda zealously sought to bring back a language starting in his own home and then spreading elsewhere. It was a big dream, but this is a happy story! Teachers can be incredibly passionate and determined!
Readers see how Hebrew grew as a living language once more. Since new words had not been added in almost eighteen hundred years, it had some catching up to do! But this process was thoughtful, deliberate, and logical. I also imagine it was fun! The book says children helped him in this process.
Also of note, it was children not adults he was interested in teaching!
My thoughts: I really loved this picture book for older readers. The book is well researched; it includes an author's note providing much more information. The story has a personal touch. The family was fascinating in my opinion! There are enough details to make it interesting and compelling, but not in a dreary, fact heavy way.
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
March 18, 2017
This was a very interesting book for me as I knew next to nothing about Hebrew, and couldn't help but feel sad for Ben-Zion/Itamar because he had no control over being able to make friends since his father wouldn't let him hear anything but Hebrew. It's not explained how old he was when he was able to speak to others in the neighborhood, other than it was after seven years old. The illustrations are bright and exciting with constant action and motion. As a Christian adult with limited knowledge of Jewish history/traditions, what I liked the most was the Afterward where Michelson included some biographical information and clarified that he took some liberties, such as not showing them in traditional Sephardic Orthodox clothing. I also had no idea that Ben-Zion/Itamar was one of the promotors of Esperanto!
March 15, 2017
While I appreciated the interesting story about bringing Hebrew back to life and making it acceptable to speak it in places other than Temple, I didn't like the father's insistence that Ben-Zion only ever hear Hebrew - and even goes so far to cover the boys ears so that he can't hear animals making noises. I also didn't like it that the father yells at the mother when she sings to Ben-Zion in her native Russian. The father's rather radical ideas led to his son being isolated and delayed his speech.
March 6, 2017
Part biography and part general nonfiction about language. The Language of Angels by Michelson provides young people with a great introduction to the history of a language that they may not be familiar with.
November 8, 2019
A lively little book about the early stages of the revival of Hebrew.
April 8, 2017
The story of how Ben-Zion brought Hebrew back into common use. A complex story adeptly told for younger readers.
April 21, 2017
Tov meod! Eliezer Ben-Yehuda was a little bit cray cray for not letting his children hear any sounds besides Hebrew, but nevertheless, this is a well done account of how modern Hebrew came to be!
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