The youngest of a merchant's three sons proves that he is not as foolish as he was thought to be when he trades a sackful of onions for a fortune in diamonds.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Derived from Jewish lore, this traditional tale serves up a pungent lesson in greed and humility. Getzel, the youngest son of a successful merchant, displays none of his brothers' knack for making a profit-but what he lacks in business acumen he makes up for in kindness. When his brothers set sail for new markets to exploit, Getzel begs for the same chance, but receives goods of little value: onions. A shipwreck lands him on a diamond-littered beach, in a place where gems have no value-and where the onion is unknown. A trade takes place, and Getzel returns home a hero. But when his brothers attempt a similar trade with garlic, they return with a cargo deemed "more precious than diamonds" by the foreign king: onions. In complement to Kimmel's (Valiant Red Rooster) expert, straightforward retelling, Arnold (Baba Yaga) uses black-line overlay on a strong, primary-based acrylic-and-watercolor palette, creating a sense of old, rustic woodcuts brought to life with freshly applied paint. Slightly skewed lines and angular compositions capitalize on the story's offbeat energy for a zesty blend of talent. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?Remember the story of Dick Whittington? Owned nothing but a cat but made his fortune in a place where cats were unknown. A similar premise shows up in this tale, retold from the Talmud: the good brother has nothing but common onions to barter, but in his travels he finds an island where diamonds litter the ground and onions are unheard of. The lad trades his wares for 100 sacks of the gems and returns home. His brothers eagerly put together a cargo of garlic to trade for even more diamonds. Their garlic is much exclaimed over. In fact, in payment, the king loads their ship with something "more precious than diamonds," and of course this cargo turns out to be...onions! Arnold's bright acrylic and watercolor pictures, outlined with heavy black lines, give a lighthearted tone to the story. Contrast this with Walter de la Mare's The Turnip (Godine, 1992), a darker version of the tale involving more tension between good intentions and bad ones.?Ruth Semrau, formerly at Lovejoy School, Allen, TX
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny version of an old folktale,
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This review is from: Onions and Garlic: An Old Tale (Hardcover)
Onions and Garlic is one of those folktales that's been told many times over. My children were fans of this version, which is as wacky as the best of them, and teaches a valuable (and silly) lesson about greed. The bright illustrations are fun. Recommended for ages 4-8.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paradox of Garlic,
This review is from: Onions and Garlic: An Old Tale (Hardcover)
Clever folk tale delightfully told. Pulls a fast one over Adam Smith's Paradox of Value. I must thank my 6 year old for this recommendation. She loved it and urged everyone in our family to read it.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
the fool wins,
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This review is from: Onions and Garlic: An Old Tale (Hardcover)
This is a take off on the Ukranian~Russian folktale called 'Salt' in the Childcraft 1954 series. However, this tale about onions concentrates on greed as motivation for commerce. Salt begins with a ninny who doesn't want to work, and then the hero wants a good reputation and chooses wisdom and work. The funny ending of Onions induces the reader to laugh at another's misfortune. The images are graphic. Businessmen or merchants are modeled as people who shouldn't be kindhearted or generous. 2 stars because it is an okay read. I recommend the original 'Salt' which gets 5 stars with a real 'marries the princess and lives happily ever after' satisfying ending.
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