The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish Holiday Tales: And Other Jewish Holiday Tales [Hardcover]

Nina Jaffe (Author), Elivia Savadier (Author)

Book Description

A collection of folktales about the major Jewish holidays features stories of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and the Sabbath and Chagall-like illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This outstanding collection from the author of In the Month of Kislev spans the Jewish holiday calendar from Rosh Hashanah to Passover. Drawn primarily from traditional sources, the entries offer a kaleidoscopic view of faith and ritual throughout the centuries, from a creation tale from the Midrash to shtetl stories featuring the fools of Chelm. In the leisurely yet dramatic style of an Old World storyteller, with vivid descriptions that evoke faraway times and places, Jaffe spins the Hanukkah story of Hannah, who outwitted a king; a Moroccan Passover tale of a selfish brother; and even a folktale for the weekly Sabbath. Useful information includes a brief historical introduction to each story, a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish terms and lively source notes. Elivia's ( Billy and the Bad Teacher ) delicate crayon-and-watercolor illustrations are rendered with fluid, folk-inspired forms loosely suggestive of Chagall. While her style is homogeneous, it is also versatile enough to adapt to the range of moods evoked by the stories, including the raw energy of a roiling sea on Yom Kippur and the placidity of children collecting branches for a village sukkah. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-These stories that represent Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Shabbat beg to be read aloud. They are appropriate for families to share, and also for readers with little knowledge of the Jewish holidays. Six of the selections are from traditional sources; one, "The Magician's Spell," about Sukkot, is original. Each tale is enlivened by a full-page watercolor-and-crayon illustration. Background information about the holidays and the Hebrew calendar is included, as are notes about the tales. The lyricism of the prose and the liveliness of the illustrations make this book a fine addition to folklore collections.
Micki S. Nevett, Temple Beth Emeth Library, Albany, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590446533
• ISBN-13: 978-0590446532
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,564,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Festive tales, March 3, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish Holiday Tales: And Other Jewish Holiday Tales (Hardcover)

The seven stories in this Jewish holiday collection come from a variety of sources. These include the Yiddish writer Isaac Loeb Peretz, a Jewish folktale from Afghanistan, the folk legends of Chelm (that mythic town where all the people are fools), Moroccan Jewish folk legends and from the Rabbinic Misdrashim--the stories, parables and legends told to explain or elaborate on passages from the Torah.

For Rosh Hashanah, the tale named "The Never Ending Song" introduces three mythical beasts and monsters. Ziz had shining golden feathers that protected the earth from the hot winds of the south. Behemoth had bones strong as brass, legs as great as iron bars and a tail as strong as a cedar tree. Leviathan was the greatest sea monster that had as many eyes as the year has days and scales that shone brighter than the sun itself. The smaller creatures created by the Holy One were always chased by greater beasts. They met and called upon Ziz, Behemoth and Leviathan to help them. Then in the month of Tammuz, Behemoth stepped from his cave and roared so loudly that the lions stopped in their tracks, earth shook, tigers, wolves, panthers and jaguars trembled in their skins. That road echoed until the months of Av and Elul and then until the autumn month of Tishri. Next the Ziz unfurled her enormous wings and uttered a cry that pierced the clouds in the sky...

My favorite tale in this collection is the author's original creation, from a town called Masoret, for the Hebrew word meaning tradition. One day a Magician came to town to offer his wares. When the people were too busy preparing for Sukkot to buy from him, he grew angry and cast a spell that to ensure they would have no more holidays for 40 generations. But the Magician forgot the children, who were in the fields gathering flowers for Sukkot... Every year in Masoret, the children nail the last boards to the Sukkah, and say the blessings over the lulav and etrog.

For Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover and Shabbat, readers will find five other equally delightful tales in this fine volume. Alyssa A. Lappen