Happy Day Books are enjoyable, easy-to-read stories that help build and strengthen reading skills while teaching Christian values. You'll find these books are loved by teachers, parents and children!

The Purim holiday celebrates the miraculous story of the Jews of Persia during the reign of Achashverosh (Xerxes I), over 2400 years ago. The Book of Esther, which is read on Purim, commemorates the events of the days during which Haman's plot to eliminate the Jews of Persia was met by the heroic deeds of Queen Esther.

It is the ancient days of the Persian Empire. Hadassah was content in her quiet life in the Jewish quarter of the city of Babylon with her uncle Mordecai, who had raised her from childhood. But she was old enough to be married, and yet her uncle hadn't arranged a marriage for her. Meanwhile in Shushan, King Ahasuerus' marriage to the vain and selfish Vashti has ended, and a new wife must be found. Why not bring to him the most beautiful women of the kingdom, and let him choose? And so the loveliest young women of the empire are selected in local contests, and Hadassah is among those chosen to go to Shushan to meet the King. But as a Jewess in a foreign land with powerful enemies to her faith, she must conceal her true identity and take the Babylonian name of Esther. Will she find love with a man she has never met? And can she survive in a strict royal court controlled by the evil prime minister Haman, who wants to destroy her people? Out of print for 40 years, this special edition contains the original text of "Behold Your Queen " in a large, trade size paperback, suitable for collecting.

"Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia, bravely risked her life to save her people. Tomie dePaola's imaginative artwork brings new life to this beautiful retelling of an inspiring Bible story."--Provided by publisher.

Hadassah's eyes widened, as she fought back the tears. "Do you have in mind a name for me then?" She loved this man dearly. "Esther." "Why Esther?" "Is it not obvious? I want you to shine above the whole lot. I want you to stay up where the stars are--high above." Mordecai placed his hands on his young niece's shoulders. "I must, however, warn you to remain humble and hold firmly to the God of our fathers. If this thing is the will of God, He will perfect it. His ways are above our understanding, for He does what seems pleasant in His eyes." A deep silence engulfed them as they walked on, then a warm assurance wrapped Hadassah in its embrace. "Even as I bear the name Esther, I will always carry the name Hadassah in my heart, to keep the memory of my mother alive." If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?---Esther 4:14 The name Esther means star. Through the lens of history, she'll forever be revered as beautiful Queen Esther, the beloved female heroine of the Old Testament, whose courage and obedience saved the Jewish nation from annihilation. But... before she was Queen Esther, she was just Hadassah, a lowly orphan girl, growing up against a backdrop of turbulent political times. In From an Orphan to a Queen, novelist Titi Horsfall laces historical and biblical events with fiction, weaving a tender and vivid recreation of Esther's journey. The biblical account of Esther is a story of deliverance and of prophecy fulfilled, through an amazing interplay of characters and divinely staged events. In this book, our heroine's story comes to life as a tale of hope and personal discovery... a tale of a girl whose hopes and fears were not all that different from young women today. Chosen by the king, young Esther was forced to replace another wife, mother and queen. With the encouragement of her uncle Mordecai, Esther risked her life, revealing her identity as a Jew to influence the king to reverse an execution order against her people. Her brave actions forever changed the course of history. None of us get to choose the circumstances we are born into. Yet, as Esther's timeless and inspiring story reveals, God takes pleasure in fulfilling His purposes through ordinary people with willing hearts.