The World Needs Beautiful Things

When Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, a young slave boy with feathers in his hair and colorful strings on his fingers finds extraordinary value in ordinary things, gaining attention from an unexpected source. Bezalel, from the biblical book of Exodus, is depicted in softly fluid, graceful illustrations, his box of treasures overflowing in a whimsical tale about finding the beauty in everything, from rocks and bug wings to moonlight on the desert sand. - Foreword Reviews

Bezalel is a slave in Egypt. Although his life is harsh, he sees beauty everywhere. To him, a feather, a smooth stone, and a piece of colored string are treasures to be cherished and stored in his Beautiful Things Box. When Pharaoh suddenly allows the Israelites to go free, and they can only take what they can carry, Bezalel refuses to leave his Beautiful Things Box behind. While in the desert, God calls to Moses and orders that a special dwelling place, a mishkan, be built for Him. Moses has no idea where they will they find materials to build a suitable house for God--until Bezalel empties his Beautiful Things Box on the sand. God is so pleased that Bezalel appreciates the beauty of simple objects that He chooses the young boy to design the mishkan.
Daniele Fabbri, an award-winning illustrator, uses a painterly style and a palette of mostly earth tones to imbue the illustrations with a charming, fairy-tale quality. A brief author's note explains that a man named Bezalel, who appears in the Book of Exodus, is chosen by God to design and build the mishkan, and is given every skill he needs to do so.
Readers may also be interested in reading A Queen in Jerusalem featuring the Bezalel Academy, a school of art which is named after this biblical character.
Recommended for ages 5 to 9. - Jewish Book Council

Even as a slave in Egypt, young Bezalel found beautiful things to collect and keep in his Beautiful Things Box, in this story for ages 3 to 8, The World Needs Beautiful Things by Leah Rachel Berkowitz, illustrated by Daniele Fabbri. When the time suddenly came to leave Egypt, Bezalel's parents told him to leave his Beautiful Things Box behind. 'You don't need all those stones, strings, and bug wings, ' he was told. But he took the box anyway, and in the desert, he offered his beautiful things for the Mishkan. Because Bezalel found beauty wherever he was, god selected him to design the Mishkan. Beautifully told and illustrated, youngsters (some will need encouragement) will understand the point of the story and start to see beauty in unexpected places. - Chicago Jewish Star