Though mocked by the rest of the villagers, poor Schmuel the shoemaker turns out to be a very special person.
You Never Know
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Something For Nothing
Dog lived in the noisiest part of Bialystok. All day long he heard the hubbub of the nearby marketplace, and all night long he heard the banging and clanging of workmen unloading their goods. When he could take the racket no more, Dog set off for the country to find a quieter place to live. On his first night in his new home, a gang of howling and yowling, hissing and screeching cats terrorize him, destroying his newfound peace and quiet. Inspired by a Jewish folk tale, how Dog outwits the rascally cats makes for a humorous, satisfying story, exuberantly illustrated with stunning jewel-toned paintings reminiscent of Marc Chagall’s. Afterword.
Aesop Accolades (Awards)
The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale From The Jewish Tradition
In this Eastern European Jewish variant of the Cinderella story, the youngest daughter of a rabbi is sent away from home in disgrace, but thanks to the help of the prophet Elijah, marries the son of a renowned scholar and is reunited with her family. Includes words and music to a traditional Yiddish wedding song.
The Black Dot
Children wake up one morning and find a black dot on their playground. When it isn’t easily removed, each has a different way of coping with it.
There are no currently English translations of this Arabic text available.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 4
Juan Bobo And The Pig
While his mother goes to church, Juan cares for the pig with humorous results.
Juan Bobo: Four Folktales From Puerto Rico (I Can Read Book 3)
Mama puts Juan Bobo to work whenever he is having a good time. But he always finds a way to make work fun — like using baskets instead of buckets to carry water, or sprinkling the pig with Mama’s favorite perfume.
David And Goliath
The biblical tale of the young shepherd who uses a slingshot to do battle with a giant and eventually becomes a king.
The White Ram: A Story Of Abraham And Isaac
Made on the sixth day of Creation, a white ram waits patiently in the Garden of Eden. The other animals leave one by one, but the ram waits and waits until he is needed to fulfill God’s will. Running to the aid of Abraham, the ram must prevail over many temptations in order to save a child. In this lyrically told and beautifully illustrated story, a white ram sacrifices himself to save a boy’s life. It is a book that will be adored by readers of all faiths and ages, and will be of special interest during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
The Shadow of a Flying Bird: A Legend from the Kurdistan Jews
This powerful and poetic story, drawn from a Kurdistani tale based on the Old Testament, retells the story of the death of Moses. With graceful and moving prose and richly colored illustrations, Gerstein has created a memorable book.
After The Flood
This sequel to The Ark traces the establishment and development of communities on earth and offers an original theory for events that followed the Great Flood. Geisert’s beautiful, full-color etchings alternate between panoramic views and detailed glimpses of everything from the ark to Mount Ararat. “With a stroke of originality, Geisert continues the oft-told tale of the Great Flood by imagining life for Noah and his retinue as the waters begin to recede . . . An understated, quietly powerful book.” — Publishers Weekly