Golda and her family are leaving their home in Russia to embark on an exciting journey. But why are the grownups crying? Golda doesn't understand. All she knows is that she and her family are going to America, where the streets are paved with gold and money grows on trees. Soon Golda realizes that her grandparents will not be coming with them on the voyage, but even this sad fact can not quell her excitement for the trip. Things are as different as they possibly can be in America. Golda soon comes to learn that there are no golden streets in New York City, but that wishes can still come true, even in this foreign place. This beguiling tale of the immigrant experience, told through the eyes of a child, is sure to warm the heart of every reader.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-Written from stories told by the author's mother, this book presents 14 fictionalized vignettes portraying the life of Golda, a turn-of-the-century Jewish girl, from the time she leaves her grandparents in Russia until a few months after settling in a New York City tenement. Each sketch is contained in a single spread, with the lengthy text in fairly small print on the left and a full-page, often very busy watercolor illustration on the right. Child-appealing humor abounds, whether Golda is telling about shipboard life, how her name was changed to Gussie at Ellis Island, her brother's confusing the words "milliner" and "millionaire," hunting bedbugs, or being caught in the cowcatcher on the streetcar. There are frightening moments, too, such as when Golda is trapped in the outhouse by a strange man at night. The illustrations invite careful examination, and children will love scanning the busy scenes in search of the spirited Golda in her green dress and apron. A Yiddish glossary is appended.
Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
This series of vignettes about America in the 1900s is told in the voice of a slightly embittered grandmother. The tone may be problematic for some children, but grandmother Gussie certainly has reason to be upset. After surviving a boat voyage in steerage class, she arrives in the U.S., where her name is changed on a whim by an inspector. Her mother is quarantined, leaving Gussie at the mercy of her Aunt Fanny, a situation so disturbing Gussie considers suicide. The stories are interesting, well paced, and important enough to be passed to future generations. The pictures are evocative, but some things that seem to lend themselves to artwork aren't adequately illustrated. For example, the author notes that the reader has probably never seen a hurdy-gurdy or a cowcatcher, but such curiosities often appear so far in the corner of the pictures that children will have to search hard to find them. Although this probably won't be something children request, it is a good book to prompt discussion about immigration or early-twentieth-century America, and it may inspire readers to think about family stories of their own. A glossary provides translations for the many Yiddish words used. Marta Segal
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
my name is not gussie,
By A Customer
This review is from: My Name is Not Gussie (Hardcover)
A beautiful book to be handed down to future generations. A combination of enchanting artwork and distinctive prose; the "voice" is lively, imaginative and funny-sad; the illustrations colorful, exquisitely drafted and authentic. These stories, in the tradition of oral history, are enhanced by the author-artist's superb talent.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All heart, no schmaltz!,
By
This review is from: My Name is Not Gussie (Hardcover)
Reminicences of a hundred-year-old grandmother's experience as a Jewish Russian immigrant girl shine through first-person vignettes, each one funny, frightening, sad and moving in turn. The story telling voice is so personal, turning the last page of the book is truly like saying goodbye to a friend...my only complaint, if I might be a "kvetch" like Tante Feindele in the story, is that it left me wanting more, hundreds of pages worth! As it stands, it is a perfect picture book for older children, with an especially attractive layout: each double-page spread offering on one side a two-column anecdote and on the other a brightly-colored, detailed watercolor. I disagree with the Booklist review above. Text and illustration are married perfectly to create this celebration of the American experience that no book-loving classroom or household should be without.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Name Is Not Gussie,
By janie shupack (Santa Rosa,Ca. U) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Name is Not Gussie (Hardcover)
Excellent book with magical and lifelike illustrations. Writer is brilliant to have captured this time in such a charming and realistic way. The book was truley inchanting and true to the immigrante experience. It touched my heart and took me back to my heritage.The illustrations were true to the Mikki Machlin style of inifinite detail and perfection. It was indeed an honor to have this book in my library and to beable to pass it along. It captures the soul of my heritage.I hope she will write more books with her beautiful illustrations. Mazal Tov
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