by liz harris
staff writer
Three new children’s books prove without a doubt that a well-told story plus captivating pictures equals an enjoyable excursion for all ages.
The standout in this group by far is “Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost.”
Ann Redisch Stampler retells an Eastern European folktale her grandmother told her as a child.
“Shlemazel is the laziest man in Pohost,” complained Yussel the tailor.
“Lazy-shmazy,” said Shlemazel. “I am not lazy. I’m unlucky”
“Everyone else works from sunup to sundown,” said Yussel, “while you sit on the same stool, scraping the same dry stick with a knife as dull as a toenail.”
“A man with my bad luck can’t use a sharp knife,” explained Shlemazel. “A sharp knife would jump from my unlucky hand and cut off all my buttons.”
Shlemazel, you see, has an excuse for everything and snappy answers for the villagers who question his inertia. That is, until Moshke the tinker outwits him. Using a tarnished old spoon he pulls from his wagonload of junk, Moshke tries to convince Shlemazel that he can find good luck using “the amazing, remarkable spoon of Pohost.”
Now, Shlemazel’s transformation isn’t instantaneous — or there would be no tale to tell. Rather, he takes a series of backbreaking steps before finding a useful, fulfilling role in the village and a loving source of true happiness. And, surprisingly, it is Shlemazel who finally teaches Moshke a thing or two about “luck” — or the lack of it.
A parable with quick dialogue, a smattering of Yiddish and an Old World sensibility, the folktale imparts an important principle without being heavy handed. Artist Jacqueline M. Cohen’s illustrations — with Chagall-like swirls of color and figures that defy gravity — complement this charming story.
The fact that Stampler learned this tale from her grandmother, who immigrated to the United States as a child in the early 20th century, makes it even sweeter.
Another author who pays tribute to her grandmother is Sande H. Zirlin. “Visits to Grandma’s House” centers on Zirlin’s Sunday trips to her grandparents’ home in Chelsea, Mass.
Her affable Russian-born grandmother, who came to America with her family in 1896 as a 2-year-old, had many friends and an active social life. But she always reserved Sundays for her kinderlech, whom she fed with a vengeance.
“Perish the thought that you were not very hungry that day,” writes Zirlin. “If Grandma did not see you eating something two minutes after you walked through the door, she would get a worried look on her face and start lamenting: “Oi vai iz mir, oi vai iz mir!”
Sure enough, though, “once you had emptied your plate, she was as happy as a lark.” The only thing that made Grandma even happier, Zirlin writes, is the Sunday all her grandchildren came at once.
This is the debut children’s book for Zirlin, a retired art teacher who serves as president of her Amsterdam, N.Y., synagogue and writes a Yiddish column for its bulletin. Zirlin’s loving ode to her grandmother is just that, though readers may find themselves feeling rather flat.
Finally, there’s “The First Gift,” which is all about names. A.S. Gadot’s book is wisely short on text and generously illustrated with pictures that do the telling.
Drawing from the Bible, beginning with David (“His mother called him Davey, His father called him Son, His brothers called him Useless …”) the author touches on the concept of names and how they define us in many different ways. His blending of humor, ancient and contemporary viewpoints give a light touch to what otherwise could be boring material.
“Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost” by Ann Redisch Stampler (40 pages, Clarion Books, $16).
“The First Gift” by A.S. Gadot (22 pages, Kar-Ben Publishing, $6.95).
“Visits to Grandma’s House” by Sande H. Zirlin (27 pages, RoseDog Books, $18).
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California