Stories for Children [Hardcover]

Isaac Bashevis Singer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1984

Thirty-six stories by the Nobel Prize winner, including some of his most famous such as "Zlateh the Goat", "Mazel and Shlimazel", and "The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp".

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This superb collection of stories by Singer brings together both old favorites and tales less familiar to American children...Singer writes with wit and imagination; his tales glow with color, wisdom and a deep appreciation of God and the natural world. . .Perfect for reading aloud or for snuggling up with." --Starred, School Library Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, Yiddish (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 337 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (J); 1st edition (October 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374372667
• ISBN-13: 978-0374372668
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just as magical as the Harry Potter books!, May 18, 2000

By 

Janice Sims "a reader & a writer" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stories for Children (Paperback)

Over the years I've read this book to my daughter several times. As most children, she has her favorites and never tires of those. You've got demons and witches and holy men who fight evil. You've got moral lessons that teach without preaching. All written with compassion and a deft hand. Adventure abounds. Excitement rules the day. You'll find yourself speaking with a Yiddish accent in spite of yourself! And, me, an African American woman! Good books know no color. Pure magic.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maaaaaa says Zlateh, January 30, 2000

By 

The Wizard "aWizard" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stories for Children (Paperback)

I had read Isaac Bashevis Singer in high school and enjoyed him. I picked up Stories for Children at the library and read it to myself straight through and found it very enjoyable. I thought my 4 and 5 year old might like it too so I read Zlateh the Goat since we're getting a lot of snow. You have to understand that basically the author has transcribed oral legend onto paper. It's the difference between reading Shakespeare and watching Hollywood doing Henry V. I have never so vividly experienced this as when I read the this story to the kids. They were rolling on the floor when the goat says Maaaa. At the end of the story the author ends one word short. Both kids shouted it out. I completely missed it when I read the book to myself silently.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Share this world with a child, May 30, 2001

By 

Esther Nebenzahl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stories for Children (Paperback)

Although this set of 36 stories is recommended for reading level 4 to 8 years old, Singer would rightly say that story tellers "write not only for children but also for their parents, they too are serious children." Singer considers children as the best readers of genuine literature, by nature inclined to mysticism, and with their own particular logic and clarity they rely on nothing but their own taste. With an array of supernaturral characters (devils, gnomes, hobgoblings, prophets, imps, saints, and demons) Singer fulfils a mosaic of fantastic imagination, colored by a rich folklore, addressing moral issues that concern the child and the adult as well. Stories such as "Zlateh the Goat," "Popiel and Tekla," "The Power of Light," amongst others, have a universal appeal because they address eternal questions. For Singer, now matter how young a child might be, he is a philosopher and seeker of God. An adult will surely enjoy these tales, and if he can share them with a child then his pleasure will be doubled!