Akiva is just a poor shepherd living an ordinary life, until he falls in love with Rachel. Rachel thinks her husband could become a great man of learning-but Akiva can't even read! Is he too old to be a scholar or can he follow the example of the water in the nearby brook? Water is soft, yet drop by drop, it can soften the hardest stone.
"Jules has based her warmly told narrative on legends of the sage and his wife. Nayberg's richly textured illustrations are stately and sculptural, depicting Rachel and Akiva with pale skin and red hair. Even those not familiar with Rabbi Akiva's monumental achievements will be moved by his devotion to learning and his wife's loving encouragement."
Kirkus Reviews
"Rabbi Akiva, the second century Jewish sage, is considered to be one of the greatest rabbinic scholars and was the inspiration for many legends. Jules, who previously focused on biblical heroes in Abraham's Search for God, Benjamin and the Silver Goblet, Miriam in the Dessert, and Sarah Laughs, illuminates one of the many legends about Rabbi Akiva."
