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February 19, 1999/3 Adar 5759, Vol. 51, No. 21
New Purim books offer parents choices
SYBIL KAPLAN
Synagogue Librarian
What do a Jewish Cinderella and Purim have in common?
Your children can find out by reading "Raisel's Riddle" by Erica Silverman (Farrar, Straus, $16 hardcover).
Raisel is an orphan, living in Eastern Europe in the 1800s, who is tutored by her grandfather, with whom she lives. Illustrator Susan Gaber enhances the book with detailed, subtly colored paintings.
This book, due to hit book shelves March 2, is perfect for children ages 5 to 8 and could be a wonderful springboard for many discussions between young children and their parents.
"Purim" by Camille Kress (UAHC Press, $5.95 board book), which was released Feb. 2, is a wonderful tool for teaching pre-schoolers and even toddlers about the holiday.
The story here is reduced to its simplest elements, and is accompanied by rich watercolor illustrations.
Writer and illustrator Kress is also responsible for "Tot Shabbat" and "Let There Be Lights," a Hanukkah book.
Each year on Purim, we read the Megillah, the Book of Esther, and we conjure up ideas in our minds about who she was and what she looked like.
Now Diane Wolkstein, who has written 17 previous books, uses the style of a diary to have Esther tell the story of her life in "Esther's Story" (Morrow, $15 hardcover). Wolkstein weaves together the biblical story of Esther with legends, using storytelling style.
In "Esther's Story," children age 7 and up will enjoy discovering a new side to the heroine, one that brings depth and meaning to her story and her personality.
This book was the winner of an Aesop's Accolade Award-winner from the American Folklore Society.
Barbara Cohen, a well-known writer of children's books, and Shoshana Mekibel, a Kiev-born artist and illustrator, teamed up last year on "Here Come the Purim Players" (UAHC Press, $12.95 hardcover).
The setting is a Prague ghetto, and the Purim Players go to Reb Zalman's house to hear the story of Purim re-enacted by villagers. After the traditional story is told, Reb Zalman serves refreshments to all.
The colorful, yet precise illustrations show care and research by Mekibel.
The book is aimed at children in kindergarten through third grade. But it could be interesting for older children as well, especially if it was presented in conjunction with additional material about the Jews of Czechoslovakia.
This book deserves praise for its originality.
Sybil Kaplan is a synagogue librarian from Overland Park, Kan.
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