Sabbath Lion: A Jewish Folktale from Algeria [Paperback]

Howard Schwartz (Author), Barbara Rush (Author), Stephen Fieser (Photographer)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

When young Yosef makes a long journey by caravan to claim an inheritance for his family, the cruel-hearted leader refuses to stop for the Sabbath. Yosef is afraid to leave the caravan, but his devotion keeps him from going on, and he stays alone and prays. Then something wonderful happens.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Yosef's widowed mother receives an inheritance, the 10-year-old offers to travel across the dangerous desert from Algiers to Egypt to collect the money. The caravan owner refuses to stop travel on the Sabbath and Yosef, who could never disobey the laws of the Sabbath, elects to stay in the desert by himself. Come, 0 Sabbath Queen, and bring peace and blessing on thy wing, Joseph prays with all his heart, and he is sent a magnificent tawny lion who guards him and leads him triumphantly to Cairo. Commentary on the customs of Jewish Sabbath celebrations are appended at the back of the book. Fieser's paintings with their purple-tinged clouds, stylized faces and green skies evoke a mythical past, but the didactic text, which insists on the importance of keeping a promise and obedience to religious laws, may limit the book's appeal. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- When his widowed mother gets news of a family fortune left to them in Egypt, Yosef volunteers to travel there to fetch it. Although she pays a caravan leader her wedding ring in exchange for his agreement not to travel during the Sabbath, the man breaks his promise, and the boy is left alone in the desert. A great lion arrives and, instead of attacking, protects him. Yosef realizes that the creature has been sent by the Sabbath Queen to take him into Egypt and home again. There is enough human detail so that readers can feel connected to the characters. The glowing paintings are dynamic and full of movement and dramatic action, whether showing the caravan, the hard-working boy running through the streets with his basket, or the roaring lion bounding through the desert with Yosef on its back. Fieser's use of perspective catches the visual interest and draws readers into the excitement of the narrative. This satisfying story is told clearly and at a good pace for reading aloud. It will also be enjoyed by independent readers and welcomed by storytellers. A note about the Jewish Sabbath is included. --Susan Giffard, Englewood Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperTrophy (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006443382X
• ISBN-13: 978-0064433822
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,324,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Howard Schwartz is Professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has published three books of poetry, and several books of fiction, including The Captive Soul of the Messiah and Adam's Soul. He has also edited a four-volume set of Jewish folktales, which includes Elijah's Violin & Other Jewish Fairy Tales, Miriam's Tambourine: Jewish Folktales from Around the World, Lilith's Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural and, most recently, Gabriel's Palace: Jewish Mystical Tales. He has also edited three major anthologies: Imperial Messages: One Hundred Modern Parables, Voices Within the Ark: The Modern Jewish Poets (with Anthony Rudolf), and Gates to the New City: A Treasury of Modern Jewish Tales. His recent book, Reimagining the Bible: The Storytelling of the Rabbis, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award for 1999. In addition, Schwartz has also published ten children's books, including The Diamond Tree (with Barbara Rush, which won the Sydney Taylor Book Award in 1992), Next Year in Jerusalem: 3000 Years of Jewish Tales (which won the National Jewish Book Award and the Aesop Award of the American Folklore Society, both in 1996), A Coat for the Moon (with Barbara Rush, which won Anne Izard Storyeller's Choice Award for 1998 and the 1999 Honor Title of the Storytelling World Awards, and The Day the Rabbi Disappeared: Jewish Holiday Tales of Magic (which won the National Jewish Book Award and The Aesop Prize of the American Folklore Society for 2000). His major book, Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, won the National Jewish Book Award for 2005 in the category of Reference. Schwartz lives in St. Louis with his wife Tsila, a calligrapher, and his three children, Shira, Nathan and Miriam.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Friday night bedtime story!, June 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sabbath Lion: A Jewish Folktale from Algeria (Paperback)

My kids love this book, and want to hear it over and over again!

And I love it because it teaches the importance of maintaining one's convictions.

I recommend it very highly!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for Children, June 15, 2001

By 

Kelly (Gate City, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sabbath Lion: A Jewish Folktale from Algeria (Paperback)

This book is a fun way for children to learn about standing up for what they believe. Would be good for children of all faiths to read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luscious, August 13, 2001

By 

Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sabbath Lion: A Jewish Folktale from Algeria (Paperback)

This Algerian Jewish folktale stresses the importance of keeping the Sabbath. A young impoverished widow lives with her five children, struggling all week to make a nice Shabbat each Friday night. News comes that her late husband's uncle has died and left the family a fortune. But someone will have to cross the desert to get it. A Bedouin chief agrees to take her eldest son, and to stop for Shabbat on the way.

When the chieftain reneges on his promise to stop for Shabbat, the boy refuses to break the Sabbath and stays alone in the desert, to light his candles and bless his meager wine and bread. As the sun sets, a lion appears to protect him.

...This book brings the mystery and joy of Shabbat home to children, who delight in hearing the tale repeatedly. Alyssa A. Lappen