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The Matzo Ball Boy (Picture Puffin Books)
 
 
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The Matzo Ball Boy (Picture Puffin Books) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lisa Shulman (Author), Rosanne Litzinger (Illustrator)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Book Description

3 and upP and upPicture Puffin Books
On the morning of the Passover seder, a lonely bubbe decides to make a matzo ball boy to keep her company. Soon delicious smells waft from the bubbling pot, and when she lifts the lid to see if the matzo ball boy is done, out he jumps. “Oy!” she cries. “And where do you think you’re going?” “I’m off to see the world, bubbe,” he replies. Before long, a yenta and her children, a rabbi, and a fox are all on a mad chase to catch the matzo ball boy!


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The Matzo Ball Boy (Picture Puffin Books) + Musubi Man: Hawaii's Gingerbread Man + The Runaway Rice Cake
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4—This original tale based on the "The Gingerbread Man" misses its mark. An old bubbe is lonely because none of her children come for Passover anymore, so she makes a matzo ball boy who, of course, runs off, tempting a variety of characters from a shtetl-style village. He outsmarts the fox and swims across the river, but gets eaten in the end. The use of traditional Jewish expressions and guilt clearly speaks to an adult audience, with children likely to miss the humor altogether. The Yiddish terms are translated within the text, which is intrusive considering that there is a glossary in the back; plus, the real audience for this story is likely to know their meanings already. The inclusion of some information about the holiday and a pronunciation guide is nice, although unlikely to make the piece accessible to readers not versed in Judaism. The stylized, folksy cartoon art, with its colorful backgrounds and bell-shaped women chasing the rotund, matzo ball boy, is comical and fun. The entertaining illustrations are likely to appeal to children, but the overly long text and adult humor make the audience unclear. Naomi Howland's The Matzah Man (Houghton, 2002) does the same sort of thing more effectively, with more child appeal.–Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr.1. In a delightful fractured version of The Gingerbread Boy, a grandma (bubbe), preparing for the Passover seder, makes a matzo ball boy, who jumps out of the chicken soup and runs off to see the world. He's pursued by the bubbe, the rabbi, the tailor (schneider), a gossip (yenta), and others; he even outruns a fox, who has a voice "as smooth as schmaltz" (chicken fat). The ending has a little twist, and the occasional Yiddish words (defined in the glossary) add a warm, droll tone ("Oy! Oy! Come back") to the tale, which is picked up in the bright, mischievous pictures showing the fun of the chase. Shulman concludes with a brief note about the holiday. This might start a family post-seder storytelling tradition. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  • Mass Market Paperback: 32 pages
  • Publisher: Puffin (February 1, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0142407690
  • ISBN-13: 978-0142407691
  • Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.4 x 0.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area where I began writing stories and poems when I was six years old. When I was 10 I sent one of my books to a publishing house, and received my first rejection letter. Many rejections followed, as well as a few acceptances for my poetry, stories, and nonfiction for adults. I taught preschool and elementary school for years, but never thought about writing for children until my daughters were born. It was while I was reading picture book after picture book to them that I began to think about writing children's books. Many of the ideas for my books came from things my girls said and did. Old MacDonald had a Woodshop was my first published book, but it was not the first book I sold. That book was The Moon Might Be Milk, which will be published by Dutton Children's Books in Spring 2007, with wonderful illustrations by Will Hillenbrand. I still live in Northern California with my husband, twin daughters, and the world's friendliest dog and cat.

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:    (0)
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1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Let all who are hungry... come and read, March 13, 2005
This review is from: The Matzo Ball Boy (Hardcover)
One day, the author, Lisa Shulman (author and a former classroom teacher), was making soup while her daughters read the Gingerbrad Man story. OY! BING! Inspiration. The Matzo Ball Boy was born. With lovely deep reds and oranges, chicken soup yellows, and forest greens, we read the story of a childless bube, who is preparing for a lonely Passover meal. A shanda. When, oy, her matzo ball comes alive. A Matzo Boy Boy is born. Boy, Shmoy he tells her. He is a man, and off to make his way in the world and not in a soup bowl. He runs and she gives chase. As do the tailor, the rabbi, the yenta, and a wolf that is not as smart as he thought. In the forest, the matzo ball boy gets tired and hungry; he meets up with a poor man who isn't interested in giving chase. Let all who are hungry come and eat, so the boy comes to the poor man's cottage. When the matzo ball boy leans over to check out the poor family's soup... This humorous tale is a must have for your seder table or bookcase. Includes not a "glass tea" but something better, a glossary of 14 Jewish words
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A tongue-in-cheek hoot!, April 14, 2005
By 
This review is from: The Matzo Ball Boy (Hardcover)
This modern Jewish American take on the classic "Gingerbread Man" fairy tale is filled with funny plot twists, clever Yiddish-isms, and beautiful illustrations. The ultimate "thanks-for-inviting-us-to-your-Seder" gift!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for all ages, January 6, 2007
By 
Susanna Booker (Santa Rosa, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Matzo Ball Boy (Hardcover)
What a clever twist on an old classic. I was given this book as a gift and all three of my children (ages 4-13) thought it was great. We are not Jewish and really enjoyed the yiddish mixed in to the tale, very educational. This is a wonderful gift idea.
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Once Upon a time there was an old grandmother, a bubbe, who lived all alone. Read the first page
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old bubbe, ball boy
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