The Rabbi Who Flew [Library Binding]

Renate Dollinger (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When the rabbi flies, there are complications! Renate Dollinger has written and illustrated a Jewish miracle story told with charm for children aged 6-120. "The Rabbi Who Flew" tells the story of a rabbi that prays so passionately that he flew. Everyone in the little village of Gill was amazed. Even Reb Lumpy the butcher called it a miracle! However, Reb Finkel, the only shoemaker in Gill, was very worried that someone else would notice that Rabbi Frum had holes in his shoes. What would everyone think of their holy rabbi? What would they think of him--the shoemaker? This was a disaster!

Renate Dollinger is known throughout North America as a Jewish expressionist painter whose vivid paintings and intaglio prints depict village life with humor and warmth. Whether described as a "Jewish Bruegel" or a "Grandma Moses of the shtetl" she has a 46-year career that has brought universal acclaim.

In this story and in the stories to follow, Renate Dollinger mixes the usual day-to-day occurences with the mystical in a way that brings the soul of the shtetl back to life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-Expressionist artist Dollinger brings her unique view of shtetl life to this tale about a rabbi who is so moved by prayer that he leaves the ground and flies. As Rabbi Frum drifts above the congregation, Reb Finkel, the shoemaker, is ashamed to see holes in the holy man's shoes, and secretly plots to repair them without being noticed. The following Sabbath, the rabbi floats through the service in shiny new footwear. The story is less about the holiness of the rabbi, and more about the holey-ness of his shoes. The gouache illustrations with pen-and-ink accompaniments are lively, but perspective is often lost in the clutter. The lack of a source for the story makes it inappropriate for folklore collections, and it is not strong enough to stand on its own merit. Pass on this offering in favor of collections such as Barbara Diamond Goldin's Journeys with Elijah (Harcourt, 1999) or Eric Kimmel's "Hershel of Ostropol" stories (Holiday).-Martha Link, Louisville Free Public Library, KY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. With a playful magic realism reminiscent of the work of Singer and Chagall, Grandma tells a story of a rabbi in the shtetl who is so holy that he flies. The shoemaker's son notices that the rebbe has holes in the soles of his shoes. People will look up at the soaring rebbe, see his shoes, and then what will they think? So the shoemaker and his son devise a plan to measure and mend the rebbe's soles. It's more a scenario than a developed story, but it's told in Grandma's warm Yiddish idiom: the shoemaker's family is beautiful, "may they live to one hundred and twenty." Best of all are Dollinger's vibrant expressionist paintings in rich gouache colors, highlighted with thick black lines. They are packed with people and action, and whether the setting is the street, the crowded shul, or the shoemaker's Shabbat dinner table, the pictures capture the magic that is part of daily life. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: Booksmythe (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0945585209
• ISBN-13: 978-0945585206
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,527,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charmingly presented, exciting, and highly enjoyable story, August 16, 2001

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

This review is from: The Rabbi Who Flew (Library Binding)

Written and illustrated by Renate Dollinger, a highly acclaimed Jewish painter, The Rabbi Who Flew is the first in a planned series of "Grandma Hanne Sheyne Stories," and just received a Pewter award in the 2001 Gold Ink Awards Competition (Children's Book). A closer look at the expressive color artwork and rapturous tale reveals why this children's story deserves such an honor. It seems that when Rabbi Frum prays very hard he flies! The problem is that Reb Finkel (the only shoemaker in the village of Gil) is worried that someone looking up as the Rabbi flies over would notice that he had holes in his shoes! What would people think of the "holy" Rabbi then? The Rabbi Who Flew is charmingly presented, exciting, and a highly enjoyable story for young people, presented in such a way as to evoke an atmosphere of Jewish folklore.