Customer Reviews

Golem (Caldecott Medal Book)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(3)

 

 

GOLEM is a beautiful book. A children's retelling of the Jewish legend of Rabbi Judah Loew and the creature he created to save the Jews of Prague from destruction in 1580, the tale is simply and poignantly told, with lavish cut-paper illustrations in dynamic colors and shapes. This book is a Caldecott Medal Winner, and well-deservedly.

A word of caution, though---the illustrations can be dark and frightening for younger children, and the morality of the tale is complex and disturbing, even for adults.

For those who are not familiar with the legend, it concerns the "Blood Libel," that fantastical tale that the Jews had used Christian blood in the baking of Passover matzohs, and Rabbi Loew's attempts to stave off a resultant pogrom (riot) in Prague by creating a Frankenstein's monster which "does it's work almost too well." Upon saving the Jews, Rabbi Loew returns the Golem to the earth from which it came.

Sensitive and inquiring children (and adults) will be filled with questions, particularly as to why the Golem, who is both mindlessly, childishly destructive and sweetly childlike in his appreciation of flowers and sunsets, is rewarded by his creator with death after completing his appointed task.

These are saddening, unanswerable questions, but make GOLEM a true parable of human life. Children and parents may weep together over the injustices described here.

Definitely not for unsophisticated youngsters,or for adults faint of heart or spirit, this book should be shared and discussed at length and in depth.

Golem is a gorgeously illustrated, well-written, and educational tale, with deep connections to Jewish tradition and faith. However, the story is also very sad and distressing, especially for those who are impressionable or sensitive. I suggest that parents review this book carefully, looking through their children's eyes, before sharing it even with teenagers; likewise, I suggest they be prepared for some nearly unanswerable questions.

The book retells the legend of Rabbi Leow and the Golem he created from clay to protect the Jews of Prague during a time of danger for them. Anti-semitic factions within the city were spreading rumors that Passover matzoh was made with the blood of Christian children; this rumor, called the Blood Lie, led to attacks and abuses of the defenseless Jews. Already, the story is a deeply distressing one, too upsetting for the average child. It gets worse, though - the Golem, who calls Rabbi Leow 'Father,' protects and saves the Jews, and then begs the Rabbi not to kill him. Leow does anyway. While the message here is one about the wise use of power, it was mostly lost on our family, since at that point everyone was crying too hard to think at all.

There's no doubt that the book is well presented. It's beautiful, with cut-paper illustrations that seem to spring off the page. However, even these gorgeous pictures cast a pall; they are grim in tone and appearance, at times giving a hellish cast to a story that needed no further embroidering in that department. The novel medium - photographs of cut paper - and the success with which it is used do merit the Caldecott Medal.

However, unlike most Caldecott books, this one is not for casual or entertainment reading, nor is it for children. I can't emphasize this enough. I would never read this book with children younger than 12, or ones unfamiliar with Jewish history; even as it is, I more than half regret sharing it, despite its beauty, depth, and educational value. It provoked some painful questions (in particular, about the cruelty of all people, including Rabbi Leow) and left us all depressed.

This book, written and illustrated by David Wisniewski (for some reason, amazon.com neglected to list him as the author), is the winner of the 1997 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a book for children. It is a retelling of a legend about Rabbi Loew in an Eastern European city in 1580 who brings to life a "golem" who protects the Jews at that time. It is a stark and important tale that demonstrates the problems the Jewish people have had through the ages. Thus, the book can lead to some important discussions. However, it is not a book for younger children. It is probably best for children of age eleven or older. According to the author, this legend was a possible source for Shelley's monster.

People learn about the myth of the Golem in a variety of different ways. Sometimes they learn about it through literature (I credit, "The Adventures of Cavalier and Clay"), through song and story, or through children's books. David Wisniewski was not the first author/illustrator to create a picture book out of the myth of the man of clay. He was only the best.

In this tale, four hundred years ago the Jews of Prague were sorely oppressed. They had been oppressed in the past, it's true, but new evil rumors were being passed on about them. People were telling the "Blood Lie", which claimed that Jews were guilty of mixing the blood of Christian children with the flour and water of matzoh. Amongst these Jews lived the chief rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel. One night, in a dream, Loew was commanded by God to create a Golem. Obeying the command, Loew built a man out of clay and gave it life. The Golem, unofficially named Joseph, was sent to discover the men spreading the Blood Lie about the Jews and bring them to justice. When the Golem was successful at this endeavor an angry mob of enemies of the Jews set upon the ghetto to wreak massive destruction. Instead, the Golem protected the Jews and the emperor of Prague vowed never to let such a thing happen again. With that, the Golem's life was taken (much to his chagrin) only to be called back again if the Jews ever found themselves in trouble once more.

David Wisniewski provides and lengthy and incredibly in depth note at the end of this tale outlining the history of the legend as well as the history of the Jews themselves. You cannot help but be impressed by the depth and intensity of Wisniewski's research. As a writer he deftly tells the Golem's tale, even mentioning how the creature grew to love life. It is a truly sad moment indeed when Rabbi Loew chooses to dissolve his creature once the Jews are finally safe. The Golem's pleas for life go unheeded, and the Rabbi even goes so far as to inform his poor servant that when he is dead he will not remember anything of life since he is merely clay. It's a harsh moment for a picture book, but I greatly appreciate Wisniewski's decision to tell the story without Disneyesque changes. But a tale can only go so far on its own. As the 1997 Caldecott award winner, "Golem" had to be as visually interesting as it was well told. The fact of the matter is that the artistic quality of this story is breathtaking. The cut paper illustrations used in this story are beyond anything I've seen in a long time. From the tiniest cracks found in the earth to the crackles of lightning that fills the Golem's coarse clay and bring him to life, Wisniewski is a detailed and magnificent artist. I can say with little doubt that this book is perhaps the most beautiful cut paper tale ever produced for children.

I don't know enough about the original Golem tale to tell you whether or not Wisniewski is accurate in his interpretation. All I can say is that this book deserves to be read. We do not usually find such thoughtful beauty in our picture books. When we do we should catch ahold of them and love them dearly. Be sure to catch yourself a copy of "Golem". You will be impressed.

The tale of Golem is a wonderful way to introduce older elementary school students to the injustices done to people of different religions. It also exposes the children to a powerful folklore tale. The dramatic illustrations are wonderful accompaniment to the story. I think younger students would not understand the story and would find the illustrations frightening. This book would also be useful in opening up discussions over current topics such as world power.

We're back to a Caldecott winner more for adults than for children, unlike last year's winner. My 9 year old son hasn't touched it; my 14 year old daughter, however, said it impressed her very much. She was saddened by the ending. The language is rich, the illustrations are impressive. With help from adults, this book could be used in grades 5 and up to help kids understand the long years of hardship of the Jewish people

This is one of my favorite books. Exquisite. Although intended as a "children's" book--the stunning artwork is geared toward youth--the deceptively simple story is probably better appreciated by adults. This is the inspiration behind all the Frankenstein, android, robot, purpose of life tales. What does it mean to be "alive?" How do we reconcile a belief in god with mortality? Because of this the story can be disturbing, for the moral seems to be that we are but instruments whose life may be ended by the creator when our purpose is finished. The golem, purpose be damned, stops to watch a sunrise.

In a sense then, the golem story embodies one of the most troubling questions of humanity: why would the beauty of life, once gifted to us, be taken away? As the golem pleads to Rabbi Loew, "life is so precious to me."

The book is not long, but the pages are large and quality prints, allowing one to appreciate the detail of Wisniewski's cut-outs. The Caldecott was well deserved. There is also a short historical overview at the end the explains the context in which the legends emerged as well providing some recommended reading and drawing an interesting connection between the modern state of Israel and the golem.

This book would be excellent to help children truly understand the wars and violence that goes on between nations of different religious beliefs. The "death" of Golem or Joseph seems cruel, but necessary. Would be a good book for older children, maybe fourth through seventh grades. A really good book

This book won the Caldecott Medal in 1997 for being the best illustrated children's book of that year. The book is filled with powerful two-page spreads that highlight the struggle between good and evil, love and hatred, and spiritual forces against human ones. The images are built from cut-outs turned into complex collages featuring primary colors that give a sense of the images racing across the page. You will feel like you are looking at an animated cartoon rather than an illustrated book.

The golem is "a giant of living clay animated by Cabala (mystical teachings of spiritual power)" performed by Judah Loew ben Bezalel, chief rabbi of Prague, in 1580. Jews were under attack by their neighbors because of a false rumor (called the "Blood Lie") that during Passover the unleavened matzoh of flour and water was being mixed with the blood of Christian children. With the help of the powerful golem, the emperor sues for peace, and promises the security of the Jews. The golem is turned back into unanimated clay.

This book is a pretty heavy duty look at how humans can be inhuman to other humans. Most children will not be comfortable with the message in this book until after they have learned about the Holocaust. Sensitive children will probably always feel uncomfortable with the story.

When was the last time you learned a lot from a children's book? Personally, I was fascinated by the story. I knew a little about golems from having attended art exhibitions about them. I also have a number of golems in my collection. But this book taught me more about golems that everything I knew before I read it.

There is an excellent note at the end that helps explain what the rabbi did in the fable in terms of its religious significance. For example, I would have thought that it was against Jewish law to animate clay (no images). The book explains that there is an exception available that was followed here. I also did not know that Frankenstein was inspired, in part, by this fable. I would have liked to know more about that.

The story raises many interesting ethical questions. For example, why didn't the emperor protect his Jewish neighbors until his subjects were threatened by the golem? Why could the rabbi take life away from the golem, when the golem wanted to continue to live? What responsibility did the rabbi have when the golem lost control? Why did the rabbi observe Kaddish for the golem? A great use of this story would be to discuss some of these points with a rabbi available to help clarify the fable's meaning in terms of the Jewish religion.

After you finish thinking about the story, I suggest that you extend your consideration to include ways that misunderstandings can be avoided that create violence. If this situation were to occur during Passover in Prague in 2002, what would good things be to do?

Open your eyes, your ears, your heart, and your soul to love God and your fellow humans!

At the bookstore I was captivated by the illustrations and story. But I had to choke back tears reading it. Had to wonder how I would be able to read it to my son without getting "ver kelmpt" (sp?) to an unacceptable degree. I like that the story begins by saying that the cruelties of the time extended to Jews, Protestants, Catholics, etc., just depending on the reactionary flavor of the year. If you intend to read this book aloud, get ready for the floodgates to open when the Golem cries, Why are you doing this to me, Father? The pairing of "Father" with the question definitely hits the well springs more than say, Why are you doing this to me, Idiot? would.