The Kingfisher Treasury of Jewish Stories

Here's a nice collection of 15 Jewish folk tales for children aged four to eight. They make terrific read-aloud tales for bed time, or for children in first or second grade, good stories to read oneself. Whereas most Jewish stories relate to holidays or mitzvot (good deeds), however, these stories vary somewhat. In the first, for example, two guardian angels mistakenly appear before the wrong person, each of them delivering a message about a hidden treasure. The first recipient, Rabbi Jacobs, learns he must travel to Prague, where under a bridge he will find a hidden treasure. He needs such a treasure to help his students, who are constantly harassed by the local village bullies. In Prague, meanwhile, Captain Jiri receives a guardian angel who tells him to travel to the house of Rabbi Jacobs where he will find a hidden treasure --- which he needs to prevent his soldiers from engaging in drunken brawls. In each others' environs, the Rabbi and Captain find the solutions to their travails, and are able to help their flocks. There are several more tales which also mix societies and cultures, some modern, and some older. The best, though, are the classic Jewish tales by Issac Bashevis Singer (about a cat who thought he was a dog, and a dog who thought vice versa), and a Chanukah story by Barbara Daimond Goldin about making do with what you have. This collection will keep you and your kids busy for several nights, with good lessons, to boot.

First, I must comment on what a previous reviewer has stated, that a story entitled "Tu B'shvat in Puddlewick," was changed by the editors to the incorrect title; "Tisha B'av in Puddlewick." Maybe I have a later edition but, in my copy of the book, the title is correct. By the way, the story is an engaging one about young children, who flee London during WWII and observe Tu B'shvat out in the country with the non Jewish family that is caring for them. This book is for children but, as an adult, I enjoyed the stories also. There is a good mix. Some have religious themes, others nonreligious. Some come from the old country whereas others are American. Additionally, Israel is the setting for a charming story called Batata about a young girl on a kibbutz who is pudgy and wants to lose weight. What does she do on her birthday when there are all sorts of goodies prepared for her birthday? A couple of stories are by the Nobel pize winning author, Isaac Bashevi Singer. One interesting story is a South African story in which a nanny takes the child she cares for to a mosque, every Fiday. This tale is a rather wistful story. All in all, this is a book that children and adults will enjoy equally.