On Purim [Hardcover]

Cathy Goldberg Fishman (Author), Melanie W. Hall (Illustrator)

Book Description

As her family sits down to make masks, a young girl knows it's time for Purim, the holiday that celebrates how Queen Esther saved the Jewish people. It's time for making hamantashen, pastries filled with poppy seeds and honey. Time to place these pastries in homemade paper gift baskets with candy and fruit. Time for the Purim carnival, for playing games and watching the Purim parade. And, of course, time to put on their new costumes and masks.

But this year the girl can't help but wonder why they wear masks on Purim. As her family acts out the Purim story, she discovers not only the story behind the masks, but the place of God in their lives.

Cathy Goldberg Fishman's gentle text, illuminated by Melanie W. Hall's warm, colorful paintings, evokes the mysteries and joys of the Purim holiday.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-In this overly ambitious book, Fishman attempts to do too many things in too little space. As the narrative unfolds, the unnamed child reads the story of Purim and performs the many traditions of the holiday, including eating hamantashen, handing out gift baskets, and going to synagogue. Throughout, she asks questions and makes observations about the holiday while decorating a mask. Unfortunately, in trying to explain the complexity of the celebration, the author loses the thread of the story. At times, the language becomes strained, saccharine, or simply unrealistic for a child's voice ("When Esther didn't tell the king all about herself, she was hiding who she really was. That was like wearing a mask"). For the most part, the mixed-media illustrations are lovely. Detailed, colorful, and reminiscent of Marc Chagall's work, they are especially effective in depicting the story of Queen Esther. Unfortunately, the book never comes together. The text is too long and more a series of vignettes than a cohesive whole. Rita Gelman's Queen Esther Saves Her People (Scholastic, 1998) is a more successful telling of the Purim story. For a modern tale that includes some Purim traditions, try Roni Schotter's Purim Play (Little, Brown, 1998).
Amy Lilien-Harper, Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

This is a sprightly overview from Fishman (On Passover, 1997), who uses a young girl's preparations as the vehicle for a recounting of the Purim story. The full cast of characters is presentQueen Esther and King Ahasuerus, Mordecai and Hamanfor a lesson in how Mordecai and Esther's acts of courage turned the wastrel Ahasuerus into a decent king and saved the Jews from Haman's wrath. Fishman smoothly includes a handful of Hebrew words in the texthamantashen, shalach manot, and tzedakahand makes Haman emerge in all his evilness, with prompts for stomping, hooting, and yelling at the mention of his name. In the end, Fishman explains how God's presence can be detected in the mettle of Mordecai and Esther, in their willingness to do the right thing at a potentially dire cost. Their example also universalizes the tale, providing transcendent acts of personal courage. Hall's pastel-pretty illustrations beguilingly serve to transmit the story and give it a suitably cozy atmosphere. (Picture book. 5-9) -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689823924
• ISBN-13: 978-0689823923
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Jewish
  • #66 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Religious
  • #96 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Religious Fiction > Jewish

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for young children "on Purim", March 28, 2000

By 

Lisa Silverman (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Purim (Hardcover)

This book is a great introduction and explanation of Purim. My 6 year old enjoyed it throughly- especially the interaction with Haman's name. The storytelling is both delightfully clear and detailed. It is companioned with beautifully flowing pictures. I especially appreciated the gentle smattering of Hebrew words throughout. Having a word glossary with pronuciation prompts makes this a complete resource book on Purim.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully entertaining for ages 5 and up., April 7, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Purim (Hardcover)

Cathy Goldberg Fishman's On Purim will reach ages 5 and older with a fine picturebook story of a young girl who wonders why masks are worn on Purim. Her family acts out the Purim story and provides her with newfound understanding of God.