Young Reuven has a problem. Every year, on the day before Rosh Hashanah, the beloved rabbi of the village of Nemirov disappears until nightfall and no one knows where he goes. The villagers suspect that he ascends to heaven to beg forgiveness for their sins, but Reuven's friends want the truth. They appoint him to solve the mystery after all, he is the smallest and fastest of the group but how? That evening, when Reuven watches the rabbi through the synagogue window, he gets an idea. Determined to follow him at daybreak, Reuven is baffled as the rabbi, disguised as a simple woodcutter, passes the synagogue, the cheder, and Beryl the Baker's house his usual stops only to enter the great forest. Where could the rabbi of Nemirov possibly be going? Adapted from a beloved story by I.L. Peretz, Richard Ungar once again captures the joyous spirit of the Jewish folktale with lighthearted humor and a rich palette of colors as vibrant as the story he tells.

Richard Ungar balances the worlds of law, art, and writing. A practicing lawyer by profession, he devotes his leisure hours to painting and writing. He has studied painting at the Ontario College of Art and Design. He also took a five-month sabbatical to paint in France and Jerusalem. His work can be found in private collections in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Washington, and Denver. Even Higher is Richard’s fourth picture book. He lives with his wife, two sons, and pussycat in Toronto.