The Klezmer Bunch [Hardcover]

Amalia Hoffman (Author)

Book Description

What s the best way for traveling musicians to schlep their instruments to a wedding in a faraway village? Why, in an old baby carriage, of course! But when the mischievous carriage takes off by itself and rolls from village to village, oy vey, oy vey, only a sweet klezmer song can save the day.

Join the Klezmer Bunch on a bumpy journey all the way to the wedding ceremony and sing along with the happy bride and groom. A wedding like this has never been seen A yidl mit fiddle and violin. The relatives drank vodka Till their beards dropped. And the in-laws gobbled goose and pastrami Till their bellies popped. Amalia Hoffman captures the spirit and soul of klezmer with charming and whimsical illustrations where the music is playfully intertwined with every detail of village life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amalia Hoffman has exhibited widely in galleries and museums throughout the United States. Her intricate artwork has been featured in New York City s most prestigious stores where she created innovative window displays. She is the author illustrator of Purim Goodies and has also illustrated Friday Night with the Pope by Jacques J.M. Shore. Amalia is the recipient of the Society of Children s Book Writers and Illustrators 2005 portfolio award in the category of Fantasy. Besides writing and illustrating she performs her stories dressed up in costumes at schools, libraries, bookstores and community centers. Amalia grew up in Jerusalem, Israel. Nowadays she lives and works in Larchmont, New York, and enjoys dancing to klezmer music.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Gefen Publishing House (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9652294470
• ISBN-13: 978-9652294470
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,462,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Klezmer Bunch, September 11, 2009

By 

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

This review is from: The Klezmer Bunch (Hardcover)

A full-of-fun story celebrating the joy of music, particularly klezmer music. Set in Eastern Europe, the traveling musicians are always ready to travel to far-away places, to perform at weddings and bar mitzvahs. Their instruments are at the ready, and are packed in an old baby carriage, for the sake of being able to rapidly transport them. In this tale, the carriage is somewhat mischievous and decides to take off by itself and roll from village to village independently, being chased by the musicians till they all reach their destination. There is a lot of Jewish content and terminology. The story is preceded with an introduction about the meaning of klezmer and is followed with an Author's Note and glossary of terms. The illustrations, created by a talented illustrator, have depth and detail and successfully exemplify the humor inherent in the story. For ages 4 - 8. Shelly Feit

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Moral for the Kids, January 26, 2010

By 

M. J. Hawkins "Young Adult Librarian" (The Lone Star State) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Klezmer Bunch (Hardcover)

**This review was originally written by my dad for LibraryThing; since he doesn't have an Amazon account, I've posted it here for him.**

This is a well written children's picture book with a nice moral for the kids to learn from. The story reminds me of the children's tale of the goose that people were stuck to as they were all pulled along where the goose and its master went. In this case it is escaping musical instruments that people are chasing. The artwork is also well done.

3.0 out of 5 stars Klezmer for young readers, November 1, 2009

By 

BeachWriter (Redondo Beach, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Klezmer Bunch (Hardcover)

Amalia Hoffman is a chronicler of Jewish traditions. In her latest book, The Klezmer Bunch, she attempts to convey some of the rich heritage of klezmer music for younger readers through her illustrations and a simple story that serves primarily as a device for introducing concepts. While the artwork faithfully conveys the rich and joyous nature of the music, the story is less successful.
Klezmer - the word comes from two Hebrew words meaning instrument and song - is the music that has been played for centuries at Jewish weddings and celebrations. Klezmorim - the musicians - traditionally relied on instruments that could be transported easily, violins and clarinets, hammered dulcimers (tsimbl) and smaller percussion instruments.
Hoffman tells the story of a band of klezmorim who are recruited to play at a wedding in neighboring village. They decide to use a baby carriage to carry their instruments, but the carriage has a mind of its own and goes wheeling about the countryside with the desperate musicians in hot pursuit. Will they catch up to the wayward carriage in time to prevent a disaster at the wedding? It is a children's book, after all.
If the story isn't terribly engrossing, the illustrations more than make up for it. With bright colors, cheery animals and smiling musicians, the pages almost vibrate with the infectious spirit of klezmer music. The drawings have a Chagall-like feel that evokes the Jewish villages of 19th century eastern Europe. If they want for anything, it is the happy sound of klezmer music itself. It's too bad the publishers did not choose to include a CD with the book.