The Brothers Schlemiel [Hardcover]

Mark Binder (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

A Hanukkah Present as a National Jewish Book Awards Runner-Up in the category of Jewish Family Literature

Welcome to the town of Chelm, Poland, a place filled with lovable fools sure to provide laughter for the entire family. The Brothers Schlemiel follows the lives of identical twins Adam and Abraham from birth to adulthood as they encounter thieves, Gypsies, kings, and love, celebrate good luck, and face challenges to their Jewish identity and family loyalty. Color illustrations by acclaimed artist Zevi Blum accompany the tale, turning the adventures of Adam and Abraham into a visual delight.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Abraham and Adam are identical twins who look so much alike that sometimes they confuse themselves. They use their appearance to great advantage, playing practical jokes, avoiding chores, and even capturing a notorious bandit. Abraham is a bit wiser than Adam, who is more impulsive, but they share the curse of the Schlemiel, which means they are destined to become unlucky fools. Loyal to a fault, the brothers will do anything to help each other, even switching identities in order to help Adam keep his true love. Originally appearing in serialized stories in the Houston Jewish Herald-Voice, Binder’s droll characters (who sometimes succeed despite their bumbling) will delight readers, particularly those who have previously heard stories about the residents of Chelm. Blum’s fanciful illustrations have an Old World feel reminiscent of Anita Lobel’s artwork in On Market Street (1981). By turns hilarious and heartwarming, this book begs to be shared aloud, although adults may want to look over the childbirth chapters before reading them to very young children. Grades 6-9. --Kay Weisman

Review

"Mark Binder continues the tradition of the town of Chelm, whose mythical residents are slightly confused—or maybe a little dense—but always in good humor."—JTNews

(JTNews )

"I can see teachers reading it to classes, parents and grandparents reading it to kids at bedtime and everyone laughing heartily."—Ottawa Jewish Bulletin

(Ottawa Jewish Bulletin )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society; First Edition edition (February 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0827608659
• ISBN-13: 978-0827608658
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,023,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Binder was born in 1962 in Newton, MA -- but he never lived there. Instead, he's lived in Cambridge, Boston, Washington, London, New York City, San Antonio, and now Providence, RI.

Mark's latest book is STORIES FOR PEACE - resolving conflicts / handling bullies. It combines Mark's 20 years of martial arts experience and storytelling.

He has been writing stories for children and adults for more than 20 years. His work regularly appears in Cricket Magazine. Mark believes that reading and storytelling are critical to children's development of literacy skills. Mark performs at festivals, theaters, libraries, schools, synagogues, churches, community centers, and many other venues around the United States.

More than 200 of his stories for young and old have been published in magazines, anthologized in books, and used on standardized tests. THE BED TIME STORY BOOK collection is a multigenerational masterpiece now in its seventh edition. A HANUKKAH PRESENT was the finalist for the National Jewish Book Award for Family Literature. His first novel, The Brothers Schlemiel was published in a beautifully illustrated hardback edition. His "auto-biographical" collection, IT ATE MY SISTER is humorous and fun for kids and adults with a sense of humor. Mark is also the author of novel, THE BROTHERS SCHLEMIEL.

His parody, THE RATIONALIZATION DIET was recently re-released in an expanded edition ebook.

Mark's books and audio recordings have won numerous awards. His educational performances in school and library settings draw raves from students, faculty, administrators and parents. In addition to a vast repertoire of entertaining and educational stories, he has the unique ability to read a room and instantly adjust the program based on the age range of the audience present. His workshops are transformative. He transmits joy through language and story.

He is the founder of the American Story Theater, and has taught a college course in "Telling Lies" at the Rhode Island School of Design.

He holds a third degree black belt in Aikido, the martial art for peace. He currently practices centering and yoga. In his spare time he bakes bread and makes pizza.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Newly Created Folkore, April 13, 2008

By 

Jean Marrapodi "Jean Marrapodi" (Providence, RI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Brothers Schlemiel (Hardcover)

Mark Binder is an American treasure. As a storyteller, Mark is completely engaging. The Brothers Schlemiel is Mark in print. Having heard Mark perform on several occasions, I can hear Mark spinning these tales, and each chapter pulls you right into the tension of the moment, anxiously awaiting the resolution at the end. Grandparents rarely sit and tell their children stories any more. These are the kinds of stories children love to hear and beg for "just one more" for hours.

This book contains newly created folklore, chronicling the birth and life of two Jewish twins living in the all-too-close-to-home imaginary village of Chelm, where all of the archetypical characters we come to love and expect in tales of this genre live and interact with them. It's about small towns, families, and growing up in a culture that never changes.

A great read for all. Worth savoring and rereading.

4.0 out of 5 stars Brothers Schlemiel, January 26, 2009

By 

Jewish Book World Magazine (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Brothers Schlemiel (Hardcover)

In The Brothers Schlemiel, Mark Binder tries to capture the community of Chelm in all its innocence, foolishness and humor. "In this work of fiction, history lives in the footnotes," he declares in his author's note. When history gets in the way of the story, it is easily modified. So it's clear from the start that there is nothing factual about this book, which traces the lives of the Schlemiel family and the community that surrounds them. Divided into 45 chapters that were originally serialized in various Jewish newspapers in North America, the book's individual chapters work well on their own, making this a good bedtime read for adults and young readers. But it's the adults who will really get the humor written between the lines. "Only in Chelm could a father get so lost going to fetch the midwife that he misses the birth of his first child," Binder writes, poking consistent fun at the antics and idiocy of those who call Chelm home. It seems that everyone in the town is in slow mode, so the mix-ups are many and the potential for laughter abundant. Zevi Blum adds colorful caricatures to the pages that help make this lengthy book a light-hearted, whimsical, read. Reviewed by Lauren Kramer