Once upon a time a poor unfortunate man lived with his mother, his wife, and his six children in a one-room hut. Because they were so crowded, the children often fought and the man and his wife argued. When the poor man was unable to stand it any longer, he ran to the Rabbi for help. As he follows the Rabbi’s unlikely advice, the poor man’s life goes from bad to worse, with increasingly uproarious results. In his little hut, silly calamity follows foolish catastrophe, all memorably depicted in full-color illustrations that are both funnier and lovelier than any this distinguished artist has done in the past.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Five Little Gefiltes
Five little gefilte fish sneak out of their jar and explore the world, causing their poor mother great worry. Includes a note about gefilte fish and a glossary of Yiddish words.
Golem
A retelling of the Jewish legend of the golem created by the Rabbi to defend the Jews of Prague
Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost
A retelling of an Eastern European tale in which Shlemazel, the laziest man in town, is tricked into believing that the lucky spoon given to him by a neighbor will bring him fortune and fame, if it is used in the right way.
The Wonder Child
An illustrated collection of traditional Jewish tales from various countries.
Strudel, Strudel, Strudel
A rollicking text and colorful paintings explain why, in Chelm, teachers may not live on top of a hill, own a trunk with wheels, or eat apple strudel. By the author of The Adventures of High John the Conquerer.
Dybbuk
Because forty days before a baby is born the angels in heaven decide whom it will marry, nothing prevents the wedding of Leah and Chonon from taking place.
You Never Know
Though mocked by the rest of the villagers, poor Schmuel the shoemaker turns out to be a very special person.
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.
Even Higher
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.