Who Is My Neighbor?

By Amy-Jill Levine, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Denise Turu

Blues and Yellows just don't mix, and that's how it's always been. No one remembers why. But then comes the day Midnight Blue takes a tumble along the road. His friends Navy and Powder Blue don't even stop to help! It's only when a Yellow comes along that everything changes forever.

This creative story is sure to prompt rich conversations, encouraging new ways of seeing our neighbors and ourselves. A note for parents and educators is included.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Flyaway Books
• Release date: Jan 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781611649079

Amy-Jill Levine

Amy-Jill Levine (“AJ”) is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. An internationally renowned scholar and teacher, she is the author of numerous books including The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings, Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week, Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent, Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven, and Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus. She is also the coeditor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. AJ is the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute. In 2021 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. AJ describes herself as an unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue and a Yankee Jewish feminist who until 2021 taught New Testament in a Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt.

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Reviews for Who Is My Neighbor?

[rosenectur · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The eight year old really enjoyed this bright and colorful story. The story of Yellows and Blue who don't mix with each other and have a lot of misconceptions about the other group it has a great and timeless lesson to it. A simple act of kindness can lead to friendship that can break down cultural barriers.

[veragodley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a colorful and quite cheery modern take on the Biblical story of The Good Samaratin. It isn't just about diversity though it can easily be used to teach it. Primarily, it is about compassion, social interaction, and just plain being nice to one another.A cute story of the yellows and blues and how the two don't mix... until one day a need of compassion comes into the mix and then you get a bit of mixing. The illustrations are cute and I think kids will thoroughly enjoy them.A good book for church and libraries as well as the Christian home.Disclosure: I won an uncorrected, advance reader copy in a draw on LibraryThing.com contest. Review is complimentary and my own opinions freely given.

[aratiel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay, full disclosure: I did not realize this was a Christian picture book. This is an illustrated version of the parable The Good Samaritan. I didn't read the description carefully enough; I just thought this was a picture book promoting diversity. And, taken at face value, it is. In the book, Blues and Yellows don't mix, don't get along, and pretty much hate each other. Until one day Midnight Blue falls off his bike, and none of his fellow blues start to help. A Yellow comes along and helps him to his feet and to the doctor. Soon the two realize that if they were wrong about one Blue or Yellow, maybe they were wrong about others? I am not a Christian, nor am I religious, but this was still a good book to promote diversity and understanding. The illustrations are cute and the story is decent, if a bit didactic. Thank you to Flyaway Books and LibraryThing for the advanced copy of this book!* *This did not affect my review or rating.

[tpc.child.library · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantastic retelling of the very familiar story of the good Samaritan. it is whimsical, charming, accessible and very understandable. the note for parents and educators in the back is wonderful--a 'must have' book for any faith based library.**note, I received an early reviewer copy of this book from LibraryThing.

[kochava-37667 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, didn't care for it. I'm Jewish, and one of the authors is a rabbi (I don't know if the other author is Jewish), but the story itself is Christian. A very seriously foundational Christian story, the Good Samaritan. A story that doesn't make Jews look good and has been used to impugn the character of Jews for a long time. So no, I'm not reading this book to my child. It's ironic given what they say is the intention of the story (and perhaps that was Jesus' intention too), but the story hasn't been used that way historically. I can teach this lesson with other resources that don't have so much baggage. More broadly, I also didn't like the book as written. Just too...dumbed down. And felt like it had too many real-life stereotypical racial signifiers applied to the blue and yellow cartoons that I think could just confirm differences they see portrayed around them and unintentionally perpetuate racism. I'm sorry, I can't remember exactly what they were because I already got rid of the book.

[librarianryan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is an allegory for race relations. One race is blue, the other yellow. The message is know your neighbor. Don’t judge by its colors but by its actions. Your normal neighbors may not help in the time of need. It might be someone you were always taught was lesser than you, that ends up being the help and the friend you need.

[nirrad_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great retelling of the samaritan story, loved how it used color to show differences, and also included different characters of disabilities and age. great for young kids.

[tdwells82 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cute story about the blues and yellows against each other just because they look different. Teaches a very important lesson about acceptance. The illustrations are colorful and fit the story wonderfully.

[bah195 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great story for ages 3-7 that encourages acceptance, kindness, friendship, and love.

[kyurenka · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Blues are perfect and live in their own world not associating with anyone else because They are the best! The same is true for the Yellows. But when Midnight Blue falls off his bike, all the Blues walk by without helping - but here comes Lemon Yellow. This is a cute, if predictable, story with cute illustrations. Adding to its recommendation is that the Blues consist of Navy blue, Midnight Blue, Power blue, Sapphire Blue, etc - and the Yellows? Lemon, Gold, Bronze, Mustard, Canary...