© 2010, Clarion Books.

The author who gave us Schlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost and Something for Nothing, both excellent retellings of Jewish folktales, has really outdone herself this time. Taking an 18^th century, classic story from Reb Nachman of Breslov and putting a contemporary twist to it that will open the eyes of many of today’s parents.

The Prince of Breslov gets more than what he needs or wants usually before he needs or wants it. “If he asked for a raisin, he was given a silver bowl of candied plums.” When he reaches his tipping point, he strips naked and turns himself into a rooster, only eating the crumbs and corn people throw on the floor.

His parents, the king and queen, try everything – discipline, doctors and magicians – to get him to change his behavior. Nothing works. Until one day, a wise, old man comes to the palace promising to cure the prince in seven days. Skeptical, but frantic, they accept his terms. The story of the process that this wise man uses to cause the prince to return to the world of humanity is what makes this version of the story so extraordinary.

Slowly and gently, with the utmost patience, the prince is not only led back to being human, he is also transformed into a mensch. The best part of the story is the wisdom and pride this outcome creates in the prince.

The graphite and gouache illustrations are bright, brilliant and fantastic – the face of the doctor screaming as the prince peck’s his hand,  the pondering on the faces of the magicians, the ancient wizened yet strong body of the naked old man as he begins his teaching of the young prince. Every page is a delight and captures the story’s message in deeply powerful ways.

I will read this to children of all ages, but mostly I will recommend it to parents as an excellent parenting manual. Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the back of the book.

Grade Level: K-3^rd

Ages: 5-9

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by my local public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,

I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.

You will incur no additional cost, however.

I appreciate your support.

In February, we celebrate President’s day, the holiday that combines Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday. When I was growing up (or back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, as my kids would say), we celebrated both those holidays. I listened to stories about George Washington admitting to chopping down the cherry tree and Honest Abe studying by the fireplace. It was clear – through those stories – that telling the truth would get us ahead in this world.

We are also in the Hebrew month of Adar, the month when we celebrate the holiday of Purim. On 14 Adar, which begins at sundown on February 27, we start our Purim celebration with the reading of the Megillat Esther, The Book of Esther. The Book of Esther is full of palace intrigue and mystery. There are many secrets, slights and lies, all leading to misunderstandings, mistakes and apprehension. When the truth comes out, it makes for quite an impressive story.  The story of Esther, Mordechai and Hamen cleverly teaches us that truth wins out in the end.

To honor this month’s “Heroes of Truth,” I have selected some of my favorite “telling the truth-themed” books to share with you:

The Empty Pot adapted and illustrated by Demi. Henry Holt & Company, 1996. Ages 4-8. 32 pages. Ping has a Green Thumb. When the Emperor decides that his successor will be the child who can grow the best plant from the seeds the emperor provides, Ping is sure he will be the winner.  However, in spite of his best efforts, Ping’s seeds do not grow. Disappointed but proud of his attempt, Ping goes to the Emperor with his empty pot. Ignoring the pots filled with gorgeous flowers and overflowing plants, the Emperor chooses Ping to be his successor, stating that the seeds he handed out were boiled and nothing should have grown.  The exquisite illustrations mimic round Chinese fans and beautifully support the simple yet powerful story.

The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson. Illustrated by Virginia Burton. Houghton Mifflin, 1977. Ages 4-8.  48 pages.  The classic story about the sovereign who, thinking more about his wardrobe than about his kingdom, spends more time in the day changing clothes than listening to his people. When two thieves offer him the opportunity to have an outfit made out of cloth that “could not be seen by anyone unfit for the office he held or was very stupid,” he jumps at the chance. Providing them with anything they want – jewels, coins, gold – they begin “weaving” the cloth. Seeing nothing, but not wanting to seem incompetent or stupid, every trusted person the king sends to review the progress reports back that the cloth is gorgeous. When the suit is ready and the king parades through the town in his “new suit,” it takes a child to point out the truth – “The king is not wearing any clothes!”  This version illustrated by Virginia Burton is absolutely classic in every detail.

The Principal’s New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson. Illustrated by Denise Brunkus. Scholastic. Ages 4-8. 40 pages. There are many adaptations of Hans Christians Anderson’s story. Some have different illustrators, some put a slightly different twist to the story. In this version, a couple of con artists visit a snappily dressed school principal.  They explain they will provide him with a suit that will be “invisible to anyone who is no good at his job or just plain stupid.” It takes a kindergarten child to point out what everyone clearly sees, but is unwilling to report – “The principal’s in his underwear!”

Wolf! Wolf! Adapted and illustrated by John Rocco. Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. Ages 4-8. 32 pages. There are also many versions of the Aesop’s fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Here, an old wolf, “too slow…and too stiff” for chasing the small animals he likes, is trying to grow a vegetable garden. Alas, all he is getting is weeds.   Hearing a boy’s voice calling, “Wolf! Wolf!” He slowly climbs to the meadow to check it out. Sitting behind some rocks, he watches a young boy play his “trick” with the adults.  He yells, “Wolf!” The adults run up the hill to help. The boy laughs at their funny looks when he tells them there is no wolf, he is just playing a joke on them. At last, the boy yells, “Wolf!” However, no adults respond. Instead, the wolf comes out from hiding and makes a deal with the terrified boy who will no doubt tell the truth from now on. The twist at the end of the story is sure to delight everyone, as will the beautiful, richly colored illustrations. .

The Honest-to-Goodness Truth by Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by Giselle Potter. Simon & Schuster, 2000. Ages 5-9. 36 pages.  Are there a right and a wrong way to tell the truth? Libby Louise Sullivan is about to find out. When Libby tells her mother a small white lie, she gets in some big trouble. She decides she will only tell the truth from that moment on. By the end of the week, she had told so many truths – like Ruthie Mae had a hole in her sock, Willie had not done his geography homework and Miz Tusselbury’s garden looked like a jungle – she had no friends left. Boy was she confused! When someone called Ol’ Boss, Libby’s aged carriage horse, an “old flea-ridden swayback,” she finally got it…and spent some time apologizing to her friends for being a little too truthful. This is a fun, engaging story with primitive-style illustrations.

Holes by Louis Sachar.  Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1998. Ages 9-12. 233 pages. This Newbery Medal and National Book Award winner is for older kids, but younger children may also enjoy it as a read-aloud. There are many stories in this amazing book, but among them is the story of Camp Green Lake, the juvenile detention center, where Stanley Yelnats and the other children are sent to dig their holes. What is the truth of the camp? Why are they really digging all of those holes? Stanley is in search of the truth, and it is quite an adventure.

Nothing but the Truth by Avi. Scholastic, 1991. Ages 9-12. 208 pages. Philip Malloy wants to run on the track team. He is not doing well in English. His English teacher is also his Homeroom teacher. Feeling she has it “out for him” and looking to find a way to get away from her, he comes up with a plan.  The school policy is to “stand at respectful silent attention” as the national anthem is played over the loud speaker during Homeroom. Philip Malloy stands and hums. This book, written in a documentary style format, demonstrates how a small act turns into a national debate on Freedom of Speech, individual rights and how society determines “the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

I hope you find these books helpful in your efforts to teach your children the importance of being honest and truthful. After all, Pirke Avot, the Sayings of the Fathers, informs us that “Rabbi Simeon, son of Gamliel, said: ‘On three things the world stands: on Justice, on Truth and on Peace…’ (Pirke Avot 1:18), so telling the truth is no small thing.

I wish you a Hag Sameach- Happy Holiday! May your Purim be filled with colorful costumes, noisy groggers, tasty hamentashen and lots of joy.

Happy Reading!

Kathy B.

This post is linked to the Kidlitosphere’s February Carnival of Children’s Literature, hosted this month at Ye Olde Blog – Whispers of Dawn. Visit for an excellent list of author interviews, book reviews and more.

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved. Books used in this review were borrowed from my local library or my personal collection.
I am an Amazon Affiliate.

If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,

I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.

You will incur no additional cost, however.

I appreciate your support.

MotherReader - where I signed up for the 2010 Comment Challenge and thanked her for the opportunity.

Lee Wind – where I thanked Lee for partnering with MotherReader on the Comment Challenge and giving us the opportunity to meet new people.

Maw Books Blog – where I signed up for the Boggiest and thanked her for the opportunity.

There’s a Book – where I got involved in a Bloggiesta mini-challenge and learned about creating a cheat sheet for my blog and thanked him for the template.

The Book Lady’s Blog – where I got involved in another Bloggiesta mini-challenge to think about my goals for my blog in 2010 and commented about how I  am already completely overwhelmed.

I am happy it is Friday night and Shabbat will allow me to relax just a bit. But before I light the candles, here are a couple goals for 2010:

1. Finish the forwords Catalog of Jewish Books and get it up on the website and let the Jewish community know it is there and updated in the next two weeks.
2. Target a Jewish Value each month and find secular books that support it. Feature those books and write a blog about the value and how the books support it.
3. Work on my Amazon affiliate program and see if I might generate a bit of income through book sales.
4. Attend the 2010 kidlitosphere Conference. Meet some the incredible people writing these amazing blogs.

I am sure there will be more,  I haven’t even touched the social networking stuff yet. But let’s leave it here for now.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

I just added a new tag line to my website, “Kids books that matter.”  I have been trying to find something short, simple and to the point for a while now. I had recently read an article about Guy Kawasaki, the author of  The Art of the Start, where he said a business owner should “come up with a simple mantra, preferably three words or less.” I really liked that idea, so I have been tossing around words for weeks now. Words like:Reading. Children. Foundations. Moral. Values. Compass. Bridges. Books. Fundamentals. Building. Minds. Literature. Jewish. Reaching. Teaching. Searching. Finding. Making. Difference.

Putting words together in every permutation:  Children Reading Books. Making Children Moral. Reaching Children’s Minds. Building Values Literature. Moral Compass Reading. Building Reading Foundations.

Aaarghh!

Simple. Keep it simple. “Think about what you do,” I kept telling myself. Finally, I had my “ah ha” moment.

Kids books that matter.

That’s what I spend my time with – books. I focus on books.  They should be for kids. They do have to matter. They do not have to be Jewish. This is near perfect. I am going for it. Simple.

However, just in case that is too simple, here is an overview of the kind of information you might find at www.forwordsbooks.com: kids books that matter. I blog about Jewish and secular children’s literature. I am always in search of the latest and best Jewish children’s literature published each year. In addition to those books, however, I search everywhere for secular books with Jewish values content.  I do this because the consensus among educators is that no matter what values we want to teach or at what age level, one of the best methods for teaching values in a real, dramatic and sustainable way is with stories.

William Kirkpatrick writes that while “explanations are important, they fail to touch children where it really matters – the level of the imagination.” ¹ He claims, and rightfully, that stories imprint an image on our brains that connects us back to a values lesson that can ultimately guide us during a moral dilemma. Think about the names Anne Frank, David and Goliath or Sandy Koufax and you will understand the references Mr. Kirkpatrick is making.

Parents generally want to find appropriate stories and a way to connect their children to them. Their goal, although not often articulated, is to create an internal moral compass from which the child can retrieve information that will help that child deal with whatever life throws them in a Jewishly ethical way. The Jewish people have a tradition of stories, especially values stories, at their fingertips. At the same time, a wealth of children’s literature exists that may seem to have no connection whatsoever to Judaism or the Jewish values parents are hoping to convey to their children. The purpose of www.forwordsbooks.com: kids books that matter is to provide some insights into the full spectrum of these books. It is my hope that what you read here will help you build your child’s personal library, foster your ability to see Jewish content where you least expect it and enhance your Jewish life in whatever way you choose to experience it.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

Reference:

¹ Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories. William Kilpatrick and Gregory and Suzanne M. Wolfe. Simon and Schuster: 1994.

He (Rabbi Tarfon) also used to say,

“It is not your obligation to complete the task,

but neither are you at liberty to desist from it entirely…”

Pirke Avot 2:16

My favorite quote from Pirke Avot, above, seems to have been written about Jon Scieszka, author The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, who in January 2008, became the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. According to the press release at the time, “The position was created to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.” As with all things Scieszka, he took this role very seriously and immediately began his campaign to get children excited about reading, with a special emphasis on boys. He has been untiring and unwavering in his efforts.Tomorrow, January 5, 2010, we will learn the name of our new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. In honor of Jon Scieszka’s unparalleled accomplishments over his term, those of us who are part of the kidlitosphere, have decided to say thank you in our own ways on our individual websites.

When my son, Aaron, was a baby, my husband, Mark, worked at home. He would take any, and there were many, opportunity to walk with Aaron – around the neighborhood, to the grocery store, to the local deli for breakfast, wherever. Carrying Aaron in the snuggly or the baby backpack, he would talk to him throughout their walk. This was not “Baby Talk.”  Real adult conversations would take place, about baseball, politics, local, national and international news, whatever was happening in the world. Of course, Aaron, being an infant, would not contribute much, but Mark, just kept talking. I remember on one of our visits home, my mother asked me, “Who is he talking to?” I answered, “Aaron.” Her eyebrows rolled up into her hairline and she just shook her head. More proof that her son-in-law was indeed a nut.

Jon Scieszka writes children’s literature the way my husband speaks to children. He knows that they understand more than adults give them credit for understanding.  He knows that if they don’t understand something, they will ask a question about it.  My children have been reading Jon Scieska’s books since he first wrote The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! in 1989. When The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales followed, I thought, “Oh boy these guys (I include Lane Smith, the illustrator here) are really on to something. Their books are funny, my son loves them, my husband loves them, I hope they can keep them coming.” Well, they did and they have. Grateful parents everywhere are weeping with gratitude.

Moving ahead about 20 years, Forwordsbooks is online with the mission of finding Jewish values in secular children’s literature. As I reread the Scieszka bibliography, I am struck by the common thread that runs through all his picture books from the first, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! to the latest, Robot Zot. While every book is unique in its presentation, each takes a life dilemma (e.g. Math in Math Curse), circumstance (e.g. friendship in Cowboy & Octopus) or classic story (e.g. Aesop’s Fables in Squids will be Squids: Fresh Morals for Modern Fables) and stands it on its head. There is nothing traditional, ordinary or expected in any one of Jon Scieszka’s books. Every book is hysterically funny, and therein lies the not so hidden secret of his success. As the kids are laughing at what seems to be the craziest thing they have ever read, they are also taking in the not so subtle messages that Math is everywhere so studying is important, friends tell each other the truth and you should always call home if you are going to be late – Jewish values all.

Of course, I would be remiss if I did not point out that the Torah portion for this week is Sh’mot (meaning names in Hebrew.) I had to laugh when I saw that it provides a way too easy d’var Torah, Torah study,  about the difficulty of pronouncing the list of Hebrew names at the beginning of Sh’mot versus pronouncing Scieszka (“it rhymes with Fresca”). This is the place in Torah where we hear about Moses in the basket, read about the burning bush and learn that God’s name is “ehyeh asher ehyeh / I am that I am.”  With the Scieszka bibliography in mind, my head is filled with wild variations of these Exodus stories told from crazy points of view. What must Moses’ staff have been feeling? “I’m a staff-I’m a snake-I’m a staff. Can’t you make up your mind?”

Is there a Scieszka virus caused by an overdose of reading too many of his books at one time?

Todah Rabah, thank you very much, Jon Scieszka for all you have done and will continue to do for children all over the world. A grateful nation of children’s literature lovers applauds you and wishes you many blessings in the days ahead.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

PS to see what other bloggers around the kidlitosphere are doing to honor Jon Scieszka today visit A Year of Reading the individuals who had this great idea.

© Kathleen M. Bloomfield January 4, 2010

The books reviewed in this post were either part of my personal collection or borrowed from my public library.

–        “The School that Opted Out” by Julianna Baggott

–        “Heather Has Two Mommies Turns 20” by Leslea Newman

–        “Scholastic Censors ‘Luv Ya Bunches’ from Book Fairs.” by Rocco Staino

I have thought, long and hard, about how I could put into words my reactions, my feelings about the contents of these pieces. What could I write that could possibly make a difference, effect a change in what has been written? How can I respond in a positive way to what I so strongly disagree with?

I could rant and rave, call principals and teachers, congress people and librarians, Scholastic, perhaps all of publishing on the carpet declaring them all wrong (of course) and me all right (of course). I am pretty good at that, but it doesn’t feel right. Why add fuel to the fire.

I could stay silent and let it all pass over and wait for a quieter moment, an easier topic to write about. Not being the silent type, that doesn’t feel right either.

Instead, I decided to look through the piles of books in my office to see if there might be an answer or two there. As always, the response was right under my nose:

————————————————————————————————

We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures

© 2008 Amnesty International. Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

Ages 4-8

In celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 30 artist-illustrators from around the world have provided art for this extraordinary picture book representing a simplified version of these rights for children of all ages.  A profound and meaningful way to begin discussions of the theme: “Dignity and Justice for All.”

————————————————————————————————

Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace

By Shelley Moore Thomas. Photographs by Eric Futran.

©1998 Albert Whitman & Company.

Ages 3-8

Beautiful photographs of the world’s children with their friends and families demonstrate the many ways they create peace everyday by taking care of each other and the world,  like “planting a tree,” “visiting someone who is old” or “reading a book.”  The text is simple enough for even the youngest child to understand.

————————————————————————————————

Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class

By Eileen Spinelli. Illustrated by Anne Kennedy.

©2009 Albert Whitman & Company.

Ages 4-8

I wish I were a student of Miss Fox. She has the best ideas! As her student’s quarrel and squabble with each other, she implements the idea of Peace Week. The language of this book is simple enough that even the youngest child can understand. The dilemmas faced by the students are realistic and the solutions easy to appreciate: “Don’t say mean things,” “Help others,” for example. The artwork is expressive, colorful and fun. It would be easy to implement a “Peace Week” in your own school using the ideas in this book. Perhaps children’s publishing could institute a Peace Week and we all write happy blogs and blissful news for one entire week.

————————————————————————————————

I believe that Shalom Bayit, peace in the house, and Derekh Eretz, Common Courtesy/Respect will always take us farther than intolerance and misunderstanding.  Who would ever have thought that Bob Dylan would be writing about his own generation when he composed the  lyrics to The Times They Are A-changin’ :

“Come mothers and fathers/Throughout the land/And don’t criticize/What you can’t understand/Your sons and your daughters/Are beyond your command/Your old road is/Rapidly agin’./Please get out of the new one/If you can’t lend your hand/For the times they are a-changin’.”

Indeed.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I received the copies of We Are All Born Free, Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class and Somewhere Today that I reviewed in this blog from the publishers at my request.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from the book covers of books pictured in my blogs and buy something, I receive a portion of the book price.

© Kathleen M. Bloomfield of forwordsbooks.com