Jan 08, 2019 | ISBN 9780823442447 | Middle Grade (8-12)
“Ten superbly retold Hershel of Ostropol tales, many of which are unavailable in popular collections…ideal for reading aloud.”—School Library Journal
“10 funny Yiddish folktales about the Jewish trickster Hershel are rooted in the shtetl village community of the nineteenth-century Ukraine. Kimmel says that Hershel was a real character, a wandering beggar, who endeared himself to the common folk by making the pompous and arrogant look foolish….With their wry idiom, these are stories for telling across generations. Kimmel points out that–like Coyote, Anansi, and B’rer Rabbit–this trickster belongs to all of us. As in the Caldecott Honor Book, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, Trina Schart Hyman’s wild, beautifully detailed drawings capture Hershel’s farcical interchange with the village creatures and characters.“—Booklist
“Kimmel (Rimonah of the Flashing Sword, p. 386, etc.) makes each of Hershel’s escapades an ingenious delight, short enough to hold the attention of young children but clever enough for their older siblings. Hyman’s wonderful black-and-white pictures leave readers wanting more. Kimmel’s retelling aptly captures the ethnic origins of the collection.“—Kirkus Reviews
