Customer Reviews

Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost

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Delightful! A well-constructed folktale that proves the power of motivation and hard work, a value that the author learned from her immigrant grandmother who first told her this story.
Shlemazel (literally "unlucky") has no prospects. The gift of a "lucky" spoon convinces him that he can dig up his luck. He never finds what he is looking for, but his efforts cause him to inadvertently plow a field, help the miller, and find a wife. "Is that not luck?" cries the neighbor who provided the spoon. "That is work, not luck," replies Shlemazel, who admits that he now has all he needs to be happy - without any luck! The bright illustrations boast a flattened perspective and the blocky boldness of folk paintings. They exactly depict what is described in the text, but add another level of life and detail to the story too. The Jewish content may not be obvious to young readers. However, along with a smattering of Yiddish (defined in the glossary at the back), the story teaches Jewish values. The lucid Author's Note explains that in the course of the story, Shlemazel develops a work ethic, begins to celebrate the Sabbath, and finds a good wife, becoming a "self-respecting and worthy individual through actions that bind him to his community and his heritage." An excellent choice for Jewish folklore and storybook collections. Ages 5-10. Reviewed by Heidi Estrin

Bright, colorful, animated illustrations enhance this delightfully entertaining story of Shlemazel who is so convinced that he is the most unlucky person in the world that he is afraid to get off his front porch. But when Moshke convinces him that he has the amazing, remarkable spoon of Pohost, Shlemazel learns the pleasure of a good day's work, finds a wife, performs a mitzvah, and discovers that he doesn't need luck to be happy. In an author's note, Stampler explains that as with her previous picture book, Something for Nothing, this story comes form her grandmother, a native of Pohost. The glossary also explains Yiddish terms like tsimmes, mensch, poretz and zlotys. A wonderful edition to folklore collections, the story will be enjoyed by both younger and older readers.

A shlemazel is someone with no luck, but in this story, a lazy shlemazel finds luck in the strangest way---by digging for it, and instead of finding any, getting paid for his enterprise.

He wants luck, though, not zlotys, and next he turns to the mill to seek his luck, all the while digging with a magic spoon given to him by a neighbor.

As this story goes to show, work, and luck are both what one makes of them, and even a lazy shlemazel can find both.

A wonderful read for little kids, and grown ups alike.