Book Description

Strega Nona -- "Grandma Witch" -- is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everfull pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results.

In this retelling of an old tale, author-illustrator Tomie dePaola (whose middle names is Anthony) combines humor in the writing and warmth in the paintings as he builds the story to its hilarious climax. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A great old re-told tale!
This classic story by dePaola is wonderful. The way he illustrates books is my favorite part and his writing and humorous stories makes his re-tellings better than any other authors or illustrators. I am sure if you read this book you would feel like you were in the story. The funniest part is when Big Anthony uses Strega Nona's pasta pot it floods the whole town with pasta. I am not going to tell you anymore...I won't give anything else away.

Strega Nona and the magic cooking pot.
This children's book is based on an Italian folktale about a friendly Grandma Witch ("Strega Nona") who has a magic pot that makes pasta. A young man named Big Anthony gets into trouble when he tries to use it. This small volume serves as a prequel to a whole series of books about Strega Nona and children who enjoy Italian folktales will want to have this volume. This book was a 1976 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a children's book.

Bewitched by the best
It's like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" but without that annoying mouse. For many youngsters like myself, "Strega Nona", marks my earliest introduction to the delightful Tomie de Paola. To me, this story is pitch perfect. It has everything a classic folktale should have and it tells its story with a coy courteous eloquence. Few picture books are half as classy as "Strega Nona". It is perhaps the world's best.

Strega Nona lives by her lonesome in a small cottage in Calabria, Italy. A witch by trade, she cures the townspeople of their ailments, warts, and headaches. When Big Anthony is hired on as Strega Nona's servant she gives him very strict instructions on what he is required to do, and what he is forbidden to do. Quoth Strega Nona, "The one thing you must never do is touch the pasta pot". You can probably guess where this is headed. After seeing the witch conjure delicious cooked pasta fully formed from the pot, Anthony is eager to prove this miracle to the people of the town. When Strega Nona leaves on a trip, Anthony speaks her spell and feeds everyone in the vicinity delicious piping hot pasta. Unfortunately, Anthony didn't quite catch the way to make the pasta stop flowing. As the villagers attempt to prevent the growing pasta from destroying their town, Strega Nona arrives just in time to put everything right again. Anthony receives a just comeuppance and all is well in the world.

I can't pinpoint what exactly it is about this book that touches me so deeply. Maybe it's the imagery in the illustrations. Strega Nona has a prominent recognizable nose and a babuska's kerchief on her head. She is constantly surrounded by large rabbits and peacocks, setting the tone of the life she leads. Tomie de Paola's illustrations always contain an element of spirituality in them, and in this case it comes in the form of the priest and nuns living in the town. I also am greatly attached to the book's choice of words. There's not a syllable out of place in this tale. Not a wasted consonant or a superfluous adjective. It is a perfectly told tale with illustrations that verge on the sublime. All in all, a great book for kids and adults alike.

Grandma Witch
Most all kids love pasta and will also love Strega Nona. This Grandma Witch in Italy teaches Big Anthony (her big lug of an assistant) a few lessons in cooking pasta and about life. A beautifully told and illustrated story by Tommie Depaola. Kids and adults of all ages and ethnicities will love this Italian folk tale.

How Can You Tell What's Going On
Strega Nona, an old tale retold and illustrated by Tomie de Paola, is about an old lady and her magic pasta pot. In this award winning picture book, Paola uses several different frames to show the action of the story. Some pictures are divided into fourths, some into halves, and some take up two full pages. The quartered pages are used to show some form of a continuing action or behavior. The first time this occurs, Big Anthony, the hired help, is weeding the garden. In the next three quarters he is picking the vegetables, getting ready to milk the goat, and peeking inside the window when he hears Strega Nona's voice. In the second set of pictures, Strega Nona calls Big Anthony in for supper, and blows three kisses in succession to her magic pasta pot. That action is shown in quarters two, three, and four. Once again, the quartered frames tell a portion of the story in succession. In frame one, Strega Nona comes into town and sees the pasta overflowing. In frame two, she sings her magic song. In frame three, she blows three kisses at the magic pot, and in frame four the pasta finally stops boiling. Paola also uses just half of a page for the illustration in order to show that there is not much going on at this point. The first picture of the story is just a half of a page. It shows the townspeople whispering about Strega Nona, and it also shows them lined up at her doorstep in need of some help. Another picture shows Strega Nona hiring Big Anthony and explaining to him his chores. In the last half paged picture, Big Anthony goes into town and tells everyone about Strega Nona's magic pasta pot, but he gets laughed at. Paola also uses large pictures that cover two whole pages. These images cross the gutter, and show arising conflict, confusion, and disaster in the story. The first time this happens, pasta is flowing out of Strega Nona's house and is creeping towards the town. The pasta is split across the gutter to show that it is really a large amount of pasta. Big Anthony has sung the magic song and is confused as to why the pasta will not stop cooking. In the next scene, the town is emphasized as being the largest area and is in fact split across the gutter. There is pasta extending down from the top right corner of the page. Now there is a real conflict because the pasta is coming into the town and no one knows how to make it stop. The big disaster lies in the next scene where the pasta has gotten all the way into town and is starting to take over. The people are scared of it and are running away. The pasta has filled the whole left page and is crossing the gutter onto the next page. But down in the bottom right corner of the next page, Strega Nona appears. In the next scene, she stops the pasta and makes Big Anthony eat it all for disobeying her. Big Anthony still has one more corner of pasta to go. He has already eaten the whole left page because there are only small strands and remnants of the pasta left in the corner. Paola does a great job manipulating the pictures to show different amounts of action. In each different framing technique, there is a different approach. He uses the pages divided into fourths to show more continuous action. He uses pictures in halves to show one single action. And he also uses the large illustrations two at a time, to show more destructive actions. ... Read more

Book Description

Domitila is not only "sweeter than a cactus bloom in early spring," she is also a talented cook and an amazing leather artist. most of the classical elements of a Cinderella story can be found in Domitila. A gentle weaving of her mother's nurturing with strong family traditions is the secret ingredient for Domitila to rise above hardship to eventually become the Governor's bride. Moreover, with a firm belief in simplicity and realism, Domitila makes a lasting impression as a triumphant Cinderella in her humility, service, and unassuming modesty.

Unlike most ivory tower Cinderellas, the only transformation in this story is Timoteo's—Domitila's suitor—as we watch him mature from an arrogant politician's son to a compassionate family man. There is no glass slipper to fight over, and no fairy godmother to save the day. All Domitila has are her innate qualities and her family legacy. Finally, the readers are invited to get to know Cinderella for who she is, unlike the typical fantasy character!

With love and care in every stroke, McLennan captured on canvas the warmth of relationships, the fondness for color and texture, and the versatile patterns characteristic of the Mexican people. Readers will soon fall in love with the shimmering light of the desert landscape and this well-told story of Cinderella-with-a-twist. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Book
This story is one of the Cinderella tales however this one is from Mexico. A young girl goes and cooks for the governor, and the governor is amazed by the taste of the meals that this girl can cook. However Domitila's mother dies and she must return home. The prince wanting to taste the wonderful food again goes out and searches for the woman who can cook a feast out of weeds. Although the governor faces some hardships and dishonest people in the end finds Domitila and marries her. This is a wonderful take off of the classic Cinderella story. I like it because it has Mexican traditions in it and the illustrations are wonderful. This book would be great to use as an introduction to different cultures. If I were to use this in my classroom I would try to get other countries versions of Cinderella so that they children could see even more differences and similarities in the stories.

Now including culture, morals, and interest for boys
The story of a Mexican Cinderella character, this book is beautifully done with warmly coloured oil on canvas paintings that poignantly draw to mind the dry Mexican landscape. Most importantly, the illustrator has resisted the urge to create perfect characters, and instead presents a pleasant looking "Cinderella" with bland features and a square jaw, perhaps because the story is based on the family legend of the Rivero family of Hidalgo, Mexico. The author's text is mostly traditional for a fairy tale, but includes Spanish words with translations on the back page. The plot holds more interest than the traditional Cinderella tale, as the Prince is a Governor's son who begins the story haughty and spoiled, but while on a quest for the girl who makes delicious nopales (edible cactus, made by the common people), changes into a person of worth who can truly love a girl of the common people. This focus and character development of the often forgotten prince may make this tale more interesting to boys, as the male character is the hero on a quest, rather than the reward at the end of a girl's suffering. Furthermore, the tale is woven of realistic elements, rather than the fairy godmother, singing mice, and glass slipper of tradition, as it is explained why the father remarries, and includes a period of grief after the mother's death. However, beyond the plot and setting, the author waxes moralistic, presenting the likeable, yet lifeless Domitila as a goody-goody with a loving heart who follows her mother's instructions to "do every task with care, and always add a generous dash of love." Additionally, the text is framed in proverbs, presented both in English and Spanish, on the subjects of love and work, which add "atmosphere," but may get too sermonic to hold the attention of a child. Includes appealing history of the tale, as well as a recipe for Domitila's nopales on the last page.

A beautiful, superbly illustrated picturebook tale.
Jewell Reinhart Coburn's Domitila provides a Mexican Cinderella story as it tells of a talented cook and artist who becomes the Governor's bride. A beautiful account. ... Read more

Book Description

The jolly and exciting tale of the little boy who lost his red coat and his blue trousers and his purple shoes but who was saved from the tigers to eat 169 pancakes for his supper, has been universally loved by generations of children. First written in 1899, the story has become a childhood classic and the authorized American edition with the original drawings by the author has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

Little Black Sambo is a book that speaks the common language of all nations, and has added more to the joy of little children than perhaps any other story. They love to hear it again and again; to read it to themselves; to act it out in their play. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Classic story for children
When my wife asked me to try and find several classic children's books for her new baby grandson, I smiled at the mention of the titles, recalling with great fondness the stories being read to me by my mother when I was a child. Little Black Sambo was one of those stories. It is, of course, a shame that there arose some time ago individuals who equated the story with "racism". To the intelligent mind, it is truly a pity that some are so intent to find "racism" that they will envision same where none even vaguely exists.Such is the case with this fanciful, harmless classic story for children; a story that has been told to generations of children who have listened in wonder as the tigers melted into butter for (the little Indian boy) Sambo's pancakes!It is a story that returns one to a simpler time, long before child psychologists, political correctness (and who indeed is qualified to judge what is or is not CURRENTLY "correct"? Perhaps we're better off not knowing their identities, God help us!), shootings committed by school children, and all the other wonders of this wonderful Modern Age.Little Black Sambo is an American classic. As for racism: it can be found wherever one desires to find it. And if it exists not where they look, tis easy enough to invent.

A classic is a classic
I LOVE SAMBO! My Grandmother read it to me when I was a child, she is gone now but when I see the words on the page I can hear her voice in my head. Sambo is NOT racist. Sambo, as viewed from a child, is black(check your crayola's), he is brave, he lived a long time ago when there was no TV. How many parents have put new clothes on their children and told them to keep them nice and clean. Sambo lived in a different country then then I do, his life, culture, were different. Let us embrace that Sambo has fears and can be brave, and is smart enough as a little kid to outwit those tigers. I viewed him as a hero (in the late 70's) and now I believe he is a hero to my children.
Give kids a little credit they know things change and were different before they were born. The original is the way to go, it is a magical story. Don't forget it is a STORY, meant to entertain children, and it does it's job, very, very well.

Only in America
I grew up in Africa (I'm white!) and I read this book when I was in Kindergarten and loved it! Children only see the hatred of things different through the eyes of their parents. Sambo is not a nasty name in Africa and the children there do not see the book as racist or derogatory as it is so obviously a fantasy tale. Adults need to see the world through the eyes of a child again so they too can experience the joy of make believe. As for the illustrations - if you enjoyed this as a child nothing can replace those funny pictures - no matter how beautiful the new ones may be. Maybe this book is taken too seriously - I have even been asked if I have seen tigers in Africa!

Classic children's tale
"The Little Black Sambo" is a beautifully told story that ranks among my all time favorite children's books alongside "The Chink Who Saved Christmas", "The Three Little Polocks", "The Little Injun' Who Scalped" and "Pancho: The Lazy Llama who came here illegally and stole my job".

How could anyone call a story written by a white English woman in colonial India racist? Indians aren't black and racism only involves black people. Also, I'm white and therefore am tired of all these "politically correct" attacks on things I grew up with. I mean, come on people, a couple hundred years of slavery followed by decades of social and legal inequality that only began to really wane in the 1960s and now you all have a chip on your shoulder! You'd think "Little Black Sambo" was a hurtful racial epithet people routinely used against your granparents or something!

Seriously folks - I remember this story as a kid too (and I'm only 26) and I used to eat at the "Sambo's" pancake houses that used the story on their menus and such. I liked it too, it's a decent kid's story once you take the stereotypical illustrations and racist terms out of it - which people have. I don't think the objection is about the plot of a little boy turning tigers into pancakes. It's the fact that this was a story written by a white person about people that her generation thought were inferior at a time when all dark skinned people were called "black". And the fact that term "Little Black Sambo" later became, logically or not, a racist term used by white people against blacks.

The book shouldn't be banned and older kids and adults should probably read as an example of our history. But little kids can do without the racist imagery that they aren't old enough to process. I don't think it will make them racist, but imagine a classroom with a mixed group of kids. Do you really want them looking at an original version, illustrations and all, possibly making comparisons. "Hey sammy, you look just like Sambo"

There's nothing wrong with modernizing it to make it a little less offensive. Do people sometimes take political correctness too far, absolutely. But do we really have to have an argument over a book that has a title with such a patently racist term? This should be a no brainer.

Little Black Sambo
I am so glad to have found this book. When I was a little girl, my dad would tell us bedtime stories. This seemed to be his favorite. I thought he made it up. I brings back such wonderful memories. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

african folk tales
I think that this book is a wonderful life lesson to many youngsters out there.From the jungles of Africa to a lion's mouth, these stories wil take your eyes to a whole new world!

Great works!
This is an inexpensive, yet wonderful collection of African folk tales. They are brilliant- a must-have! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A Ukrainian boy named Nicki wants his grandmother Baba to knit snow-white mittens for him. She warns her grandson that a white mitten will be hard to find if he loses it in the snow, but of course he promptly does just that!What happens next is the surprising part, as a mole takes refuge in the lost mitten, then a rabbit, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, and a fox.If you think the mitten might be a wee bit stretched out at this point, just wait: "Then a big bear sniffed at the mitten. The animals were packed in tight, but the bear didn't care. He crawled in anyway." When a tiny mouse squeezes in, her whiskers tickle the bear's nose. He sneezes, and "Aaaaa-aaaaa-ca-chew!" all the animals fly out of their crocheted cave. As the mitten sails through the air, Nicki spots it, reclaims it, and takes it home to show his smiling Baba.

Jan Brett is the illustrator of many well-known folktales, fairy tales, and poems, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Owl and the Pussycat, by Edward Lear. Her special signature in her detailed artwork is the intricate borders, seen in this book as birch-bark panels with embroidered details and mitten-shaped vignettes offering additional insights into the story line. Brett is at her best when she illustrates animals, and the expressions on the faces of her creatures are a delight. She carefully researched the costumes, furniture, and house in this traditional Ukrainian tale--all are authentic. A fine story to read on a frosty night with a cup of hot chocolate, and if you ever get your fill of The Mitten, you can always try its delightfully original companion book, The Hat, winner of the 1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The Mitten
The story of the Mitten begins when a boy named Nicki begs Baba to sew him white, wool mittens. After she finished, the boy went to play with them. Baba said that when he got home, she would check to see if he was alright, then see if he still had the new mittens. Soon, Nicki dropped one of his mittens and lost it. Many different animals found the mitten to be a good place to rest. At the end, Nicki finds his mitten and returns home. The only thing, is that one mitten is four times bigger then the other.
I really enjoyed the book, The Mitten. It was always may favorite when I was a young child. The story really kept my attention, and I could follow it very easily. I liked all the different types of animals. I though the story was very good, and I'm sure you would too.

A real gem!
I was looking for ways to introduce our family's Ukrainian heritage to my son (now 18 months). I was very pleasantly surprised to come across this book. It shows both the young boy and his grandmother in traditional Ukrainian dress. They even call the grandmother Baba (the Ukrainian word for grandmother). But even beyond the Ukrainian stuff, this book is excellent. The illustrations are beautiful. There are small inset illustrations that tell more background of the story along with the larger, main pictures. So this book is both a picture book and a story book in one. My son loves to look at the animals and all but shrieks with laughter whenever we act out the big sneeze that shoots them all out of the mitten. I'm sure this book will be a treasure in our home for years to come!

Small, short and sweet
This is a small handy for the car sort of book. The story is short and a pleasure to read as it reviews the names of different animals found in the forest. This was given to my little one as present from my Ukrainian grandmother whom we call "Baba", I like that we can relate to a few of the books details, like the gramdmother shown an ethnic blouse like the ones worn in the old country, and the boy is called Nick like many Ukrainian boys making the book even more authentic.

A Great Book
This is another great retelling by Jan Brett. I read this book to my second grade class every year. You can download a mitten and the animals from the story at Jan Brett's web site. After I read this delightful story to my class, the children color the animals and cut them out along with the mitten. I read the story again and they act it out with their animals. They take the mitten and animals home to do a retelling with their families. The children absolutely love this story and the activities.

Beautifully illustrated book!
My 18-month-old sons love this book. I have to read this one to them over and over ~~ they love the bright colorful pictures. They love hearing about the animals. And I love reading it to them. It's fun and pleasurable on the eyes as well.

Nicki wants a pair of white mittens and his Baba agrees to make it for him. However, he loses one and a mole decided to rest in the white mitten lying on the snow. He soon is joined by a rabbit, a fox, hedgehog, badger, owl, a bear and a tiny mouse. It's hilarious to imagine all of them in one tiny little mitten ~~ and so fun to read too!

I recommend Brett's books for everyone. She's a wonderful story-teller and her art is beautifully-illustrated. She is an example of how children's books should be!

2-4-04 ... Read more

Book Description

You may think you know this story I am going to tell you, but you have not heard it for true. I was there. So I will tell you the truth of it. Here. Now. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I like it because the pictures and the writing are great
I am giving the book Cendrillon 5 stars because there are words in French, there are excellent pictures, and San Souci has a very good way at making the story make sense.

I liked that they put in French words because it tells the reader that the people in the story speak French.

The author, Robert D. San Souci, is excellent at writing. I have read more of his books and they are all great.

The illustrater, Brian Pinkney, has a great way of making the pictures stand out. Pinkney has a nice way of drawing the outlines of things. You can almost see things jumping out of the pages. You can see he mixes in colors, so he gets the colors he wants.

The book is great.

Kudos!
This is a wonderfully rich retelling of the traditional French Cinderella story, set in the Caribbean. As a school librarian I've shared this title with students to compare it to the traditional version. They love it! The pronunciation guide in the back is most helpful. The story is unique because it is from the point of view of the spunky godmother. Pinkney's scratchboard illustrations are perfect!

We liked this story because some words were in French.
We rated it number four because we liked the drawings. We thought the drawings brought out the book. We thought the illustrations were very colorfuland very interesting because it was by the Carrabien Sea. We, also, liked it because some words were in French. There should not have been servants in the story. We thought it was like the other Cinderella stories. The author should have changed it a little bit. We suggest younger school aged pupils would enjoy this book better that upper elementary pupils. We have enjoyed reading this book a lot. By : The Four Recess Lovers*

We rated it a two because we did not understand it.
The story is about a lovely girl whose mother dies and her father remarries a evil lady. Her father worked alot and her stepmother made her do all of the work. All the girls in the town got invited to a ball that the Prince was having. There he would pick one lady to be his bride. The housekeeper of the house had a magic wand that her mother had given her. She uses the wand so that Cendrillion can go to the ball. She and the housekeeper got to go to the ball, but they had to be back at 12:00pm. They got sidetrack and the 12:00pm clock rang.Then they ran home but the Prince found that she had lost her shoe. He looks all over town. Then he goes to a house which is Cendrillion's house. Then her evil stepsisters tries to fit the shoe on their big feet,but the shoe wouldn't fit their big feet. Then her mother tried the shoe on, but it would not fit her foot either. Then Cendrillion tried it on and it fits her just fine. Then ,the Prince and her got married,and they lived happily ever after in the Prince's big catle with all their riches.

We rated it a 4 because it had good pictures and a plot.
There was once a girl and her god mother and they worked for the girls step mother. Her step mother was really mean. Her step mother was very mean. The step mother didn't want Cendrillion to go the ball. The washer woman turns into a fairy god mother, and sends Cendrillion to the ball. She looks as a princess would look when she went to the ball. She had a very nice dress. She road in very fancy carriage. She danced all night until twelve o'clock. She was leaving and lost one of her slippers. The prince goes through out the town looking all over for his bride to be. He tries to find out which foot fits the slipper. Her step sister tries the slipper on. The god mother says "It would only fit you if you cut off your toes". The god mother ran all the way upstairs to find Cendrillion. She found her in her room, and dragged her down the stairs. She went and saw her beloved the prince. The prince asked her to try on the beautiful slipper. She said yes. It was a perfect fit! Then they asked to get married. They got married at the princes kingdom. They had a party after the wedding. They lived happily ever after!We suggest this book to people who like fairy tales.

By:The Snowboarder Kids ... Read more

Book Description

King Shahryar kills a new wife every night, because he is afraid she will stop loving him. But his new bride Shahrazad has a clever plan to save herself. Her nightly stories--of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, and many other heroes and villains--are so engrossing that King Shahryar has to postpone her execution again and again... This illustrated edition brings together all the Arabian Nights tales in an original retelling by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.

(paperback reissue of ISBN 0-19-274500-X) ... Read more

Reviews (8)

WOW
Absolutely the best work of fiction EVER. Indeed, I too wish, that there were 1001 stories or even 1.000.001 ones inside this lovely book but all good things must come to an end.
Anyways, if you wander, why 1001 nights? - here's the answer.

Two brothers, both Kings, have both been victims of cheating wives. They both kill them and their lovers but later on, one of the brothers, King Shahryar can't stand the loneliness in the dark so he comes to a decision to marry a new wife fetched by his Counsellor, every night then kill her next day after because he believes that "All women are fickles" and that "None of them love their husbands for more then one day"...so he marries a new wife each night until the streets began to get emptied. Then, when 'no other girl' is left, Shahrazad, the eldest girl of the King's Counsellor, becomes his 1001-st wife. Unlike other wives, Shahrzad survives because...

Do not say you read books if you didn't read this one!

Highly recommended

text by Geraldine McCaughrean;illustrations by Stephen Lavis
Oxford University Press, 1993. Stories (meant for children) include fables, romances, narrative jokes,and fairy tales, linked to one another by the King and Queen's own love story. Shahrazad's attempts to stave off execution by telling just one more story have been expanded to fuller effect than in many versions. The book is written in a style that is clear, gripping, and poetic, conveying the flavor of the original and preserving the context of a magic, jinni-ridden desert world. 12 color plates and many b/w illustrations.

Fine!
This is one of the most famous classic fictions. I have just read some of the stories but I find them very interesting. For example ' Princess Lila and the three brothers' is one of the most fanastic stories. This story is about three princes in order to marry the beautiful Princess Lila, They went far far away to find the moset wonderful things on earth. The one with the most wonderful things can marry the princess. I think their ' wonderful thing' is really wonderful. Do you want to know what's the wonderful thing? Do buy one and find out the answer! You will be surprised!

Good, but not what I was looking for.
If you know some of the stories already, this review is for you. The stories deserve 5 start, but in my opinion for a book about 1001 stories, it ought to have all 1001 stories. Otherwise, it should say that somewhere in the title, thus the lower score.

1001 Nights
I have not bought this book in English, but I actually bought it in Bosnian. It is slightly bigger than the English version and all I can say, it is wonderful. Although the language is very "explicit", it is still very entertaining. ... Read more

Book Description

In the first English retelling of this ancient Cambodian tale, our heroine goes further, survives more, and has to conquer her own mortality to ragain her rightful place. Angkat—child of ashes—endures great wrongs as she seeks to rise above the distresses caused by her own family. Angkat appeared in an 18th century French essay which was found by Dr. Coburn deep in some dusty archives while she was researching Khmer culture and folklore. The artist effectively employed dramatic expressions, gestures, and ambiance in each illustration. This ancient and truly captivating version of the Cinderella story will delight and enthrall readers of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An attractive tale that can be savored by readers of all age
Underneath the vast differences between the customs and way of daily life in this colorful Eastern land of long ago and the settings of the traditional Cinderella story are enough similarities to enlist the interest and sympathies of the modern-day reader. More important are the universal values which permeate this charming tale-compassion, fidelity to one's family (even if it brings pain,) and justice. An attractive, multicultural tale that can be savored by readers of all ages. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

"Climo has woven this ancient tale, a mixture of fact and myth, with clarity and eloquence.The beauty of the language is set off to perfection by Heller's arresting illustrations.A stunning combination of fluent prose and exquisitely wrought illustrations [that makes] a winner for story hours, as well as a useful resource for the study of Cinderella through the ages." —SLJ.

Notable 1989 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC) ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Racist? Step-sisters? Read the book!
I'm surprised to hear this book described as racist. The inaccuracies in that review leave me to wonder whether the poster actually read the book.

The heroine's name, Rhodopis, referenced her sunburned skin. A real person may have inspired the fable, a light-skinned slave who married a Pharaoh.

The other girls were not step-sisters as the reviewer states, but servants. Rhodopis was a mere slave, making their unkind treatment of her more logical. Due to their rank in the Ancient Egyptian class system, she would be expected to do the less-desirable chores. For a lowly slave to be favored by their master would spawn jealousy and resentment. I don't recall any inference that their demeanor related to their skin color, and the reviewer overlooks the kindly Master and Pharaoh also being dark-skinned.

Such hotly-debated subjects a the race of Egyptians or of Cleopatra have no bearing on the story. Rhodopis is a Greek slave girl, and is neither described as Egyptian, nor called Cleopatra.

A good story with interesting historical references, it's a shame to see it dismissed as racist by a reviewer who clearly has overlooked many details of the book.

WARNING!
I was extremely disappointed in this book. I found it to be overtly racist. I had bought it to share with my grade 3/4 classroom as we are studying Ancient Egypt. I like to stretch the curriculum with literature, art, and more. Unfortunately, I did not read the book carefully before I bought it. When I did, I noticed immediately that the 'cinderella' heroine of the story had golden hair and fair skin while the evil, lazy, etc step-sisters had dark hair & skin. This was explicitly written and illustrated. This is a shame and so unnecessary. Obviously, Egypt is in northern Africa and while some tales of Cleopatra suggest that she may have been fair due to the Ptolemy's Greek lineage, I would suggest that most inhabitants of ancient egypt were of african, mediterranean, semitic, or arabic descent and dark-hued. I strongly recommend that you NOT buy this book.

Review of The Egyptian Cinderella
I really liked this version of Cinderella. It would be a great book to use in elementary classes when reading different versions of a story. Also you could use it as an introduction to an Egyptian unit because there is some fact within this story. This story of how Rhodopis' red slipper was taken from the falcon, the god Horus. Little did she know the falcon was bringing the slipper to Amasis, the Pharaoh. When he saw the slipper he was determined to find who it belonged to and marry her. His long travels led him to Rhodopis... This version had some similaries to the original but I liked how there was some fact behind the story!

Very nice twist on classic tale
My kids really liked this one. We had been talking about Egypt and they loved hearing this version of the story. There's no fairy godmother, but the god Horus intervenes in the form of a falcon. And there's even a happy ending. I liked the historical fact at the end of the book.

Elementary School Teachers: Buy this book!
Climo and Heller are a superb team. This is not only an excellent book for a children's comparative literature study on fairy tales, but also for examining ancient Egyptian art. Heller's work contains surprisingly accurate illustrations of ancient Egyptian decorative motifs and historical and cultural traditions. Students can compare Heller's work to the real thing and find many similarities, such as the lotus blossom architectural columns, the Pharaoh's crook and whip, the feather-patterned jewelry, the false beards worn by royalty, the distinctive combination side-view/frontal-view depiction of humans, etc. Climo's historical notes at the end of the book are fascinating. Her enchanting tale also provides a focal point for class discussions of racial prejudice. This is a gem of a book. ... Read more

Book Description

Every night, Shahrazad begins a story. And every morning, the Sultan lets her live another day -- providing the story is interesting enough to capture his attention. After almost one thousand nights, Shahrazad is running out of tales. And that is how Marjan's story begins....

It falls to Marjan to help Shahrazad find new stories -- ones the Sultan has never heard before. To do that, the girl is forced to undertake a dangerous and forbidden mission: sneak from the harem and travel the city, pulling tales from strangers and bringing them back to Shahrazad. But as she searches the city, a wonderful thing happens. From a quiet spinner of tales, Marjan suddenly becomes the center of a more surprising story than she ever could have imagined. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Susan Fletcher is a SHADOW SPINNER herself!
This book is woven into a supensful story that you cannot put down! It has a wonderful plot and you will love it! Taking place a long time ago in Arabia, Marjan, the main character is pulled away from all she has ever known to a huge palace, beautiful ladies, a Sultan that kills women, and a fat cruel mother of the Sultan called the Khatun. She was pulled away from her home because Sharazad (the woman who wasn't killed by the Sultan) needs stories for the Sultan. Marjan is now told to go into the bazaar and get a storyteller to tell her a story so Marjan can tell Sharazad. She goes but will she get caught by the Khatun? I won't tell you you have to find out for yourself! HAPPY READING!

a great book on an interesting time period!
Shadow Spinner is based on Arabian Nights. Marjan is a storyteller who is living with Jewish people she calls aunt and uncle. Her mother commited suicide after she maimed Marjan's foot so the sultan wouldn't marry her. The sultan's first wife was unfaithful to him and he killed her and married a woman every night and killed her in the morning, because he believed that all woman were unfaithful. Her mother thought that the sultan would continue until all the unmarried woman were dead and then start marrying the young girls. One day Marjan goes with her aunt to sell jewelry at the harem, which is the place where all the woman in the palace live. After telling a story to some children she is led to Shahrazad, the sultan's wife. For almost three years she has told the sultan stories and doesn't finish them so she continues them the next day. She is desperate for stories she hasn't already told him. So Marjan tells her one and she tells the sultan. It turns out this story happens to be the sultan's childhood favorite and he asks her to tell him the story of the main character's son. Shahrazad, trying to please him, says she knows it and will tell him the story after she is done with the one she is presently telling. She asks Marjan about the rest of the story and Marjan says she doesn't know it. So Shahrazad sends Marjan out of the harem (which isn't allowed) to find out the rest of the story (Marjan heard the story from a storyteller in the bazaar). What makes this book interesting is the sultan's mother, the most powerful woman in the harem, who distrusts women and hates Shahrazad. Also, Marjan deals with her feelings of hate towards her mother at crippiling Marjan for life.

Shadow Spinner a Jade Room play
Once upon a time there was a sultant who married a beatiful wife who betrade him so he had her killed. So after this he married and killed a new wife every night, untill Sharazad. She kept herself alive by telling a story to the sultant everynight, for nine-hundred and eighty-nine nights! One day Marjan a thirteen-year old girl who has a crippled foot, took a trip to the harem, with her aunt Auntie Chava, to sell trinkets. Marjan ends up telling a story to some of the harem girls. Dunyazad Sharazad's sister listens in on the story Marjan is telling. So Dunyazad brings Marjan to Sharazad. Sharazad is despertly looking for a story to tell o the sultant that night. Marjan tells Sharazad a story that she never heard before. The story is about Julnar a beatiful mermaid. So Sharazad tells the story to the sultant. The sultant then wants to here about Julnars son. So Marjan is set out on an adventure to find the story. She thinks that she heard the story long ago when she was little in the bazaar from a blind storyteller. Marjan has succeded on her quest. She tells the story to Sharazad and Sharazad tells the sultant and Sharazad lives. Once again Marjan needs to get more of the story, but this time Dunyazad comes with Marjan. Remember this everytime Marjan leaves the harem she has to escape without anybody nowing, becaues no woman our aloud to leave the harem ever! All through out the story marjan keeps meeting new friends and enemies. For example: the Khatun (the sultants eveil mother), Ayaz (a poor boy), Zaynab (a crazy bird lady), Soraya (the sultants next victem), Uncle Eli (Auntie Chavas husband and Marjans Uncle) and final Mitra (a girl in the harem).

Shadow Spinner
Susan Fletcher wrote the book Shadow Spinner. It is about a girl named Marjan, in the Middle East who admires Shahrazad. Shahrazad is a wife to the Sultan in a harem who told stories to the Sultan to keep him from killing more wives than he already had. Dunyazad hears Marjan tell a story to some children in the harem and brings Marjan to her sister Shahrazad. Shahrazad is looking for a new story to tell, because the Sultan doesn't like to hear a story twice. Shahrazad never heard the story before and tells the Sultan it. The Sultan was told the story when he was a child and it was his favorite. The Sultan remembers another half to the story that Marjan never heard. The Sultan wants to hear the rest of the story so Dunyazad and Marjan have to track down the rest of the story.
It's a book of adventure. The author paints the scenes very well with words. I enjoyed the book very much and hope others will too.

A sixth grade student

Shady Says--!
'Twas a good book. I've read it over and over and have given it to my friend who has fallen in love with it. I love the style, the eloquence, and the person which confines to us her narrative of an expression of deep thoughts and dark bitterness-the type of story that often makes a mark in the classics. Yes, the classic story (1000 tales) has its undying charm but this story is the story behind the stories. This book gave me insight, it gave me window to see charisma and writing as one. ... Read more

Book Description

Ever since he was a baby, Becan's only worry has been his big feet--until his widowed father remarries.  His new stepmothr and her three daughters feed him crusts of bread and banish him to work in the fields.  So Becan runs away.

With the help of his only friend, a magical bull, he defeats a giant, slays a dragon, and rescues a princess.  But before she can thank him, Becan disappears, leaving behind him one of his enormous boots.  The princess scours the kingdom for the owner of the giant boot.  Will Becan's feet give him away?  And what will his fate be if they do?

Folklorist Shirley Climo retells an age-old Irish tale that is an unusual twist on the popular Cinderella story. Just like his female counterpart, Becan has a mean stepmother and stepsisters. Unlike Cinderella, Becan has large feet and a magical bull for a fairy godmother. He defeats a sword-swinging giant, slays a fire-breathing dragon, and rescues a princess. But before the princess can thank him, he runs off, leaving her with only an enormous boot to aid her in the search for her rescuer. And, as in all Cinderella stories, true love prevails.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful change from the traditional Cinderella story.
The Irish Cinderlad is a continuation of Climo's journey in theCinderella folktales. Children can see how a boy can also be part ofthe Cinderella story. Educators can use this story to demonstrate thesimilarities between different cultures around the world. The illustrations in this book continue with the high standards set in the other "Cinderella" stories in this series. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (17)

A delightful trickster story.
This children's book is a retelling of an African-American folktale about a lazy bear and an industrious rabbit, a trickster, who grows different crops on the bear's land. Sometimes the bear wants the top of the crops while the hare takes the bottoms. Other times the bear demands the bottoms. Each time, the hare grows a crop which makes him the "winner" in the deal. The book was a 1996 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children.

A new classic - well worth buying!!
It seems Mr. Rabbit is in a bit of a fix. After losing that race to Turtle, he's in a bit of a financial jam. So, he goes to Bear and makes a deal.

The Rabbit family will plant and harvest the crops on Bear's land. Rabbit will split the crops with Bear 50/50. All Bear has to do is decide which half - tops or bottoms - he wants.

Unfortunately, whether the crop is potatoes, lettuce, corn, or radishes, Bear keeps picking the "wrong half".

This is a hillarious story that kids of all ages will appreciate. For visual interest, the book is designed to flip from top to bottom (as opposed from left to right).

Janet Stevens' artwork alone is worth the cost of the book!

Enjoy!

Heads and tails
When I first picked up the charming, "Tops and Bottoms" picture book by Janet Stevens, I was initially certain that this was a kind of Brer Rabbit tale. It had all the markings of it. Animals in clothing tricking one another out of food of one sort or another. The hero was a hare and the villain a bear. But on reading this book I was in for a shock. A staple of the Brer Rabbit tales is the idea that sometimes luck and laziness go hand in hand. Brer Rabbit is forever tricking the other animals into doing his work for him rather than the other way around. But in "Tops and Bottoms" we have a very familiar message to contend with. Hard work pays off.

The book is drawn in a rather original format. Rather than holding the book with the spine horizontal, instead this tale can only be read with the spine completely vertical. Pictures are long here, rather than wide, and the result is an eclectic new way of telling a tale. It's enormously effective. In this story, a lazy bear owns most of the land. One day, Hare decides its time to buy some of his own land back. He strikes up a deal with the prematurely hibernating neighbor and the two become business partners. If Hare does all the work, Bear can chose the part of the crop he prefers. Either the tops or the bottoms. It soon becomes clear that Bear is no match for the sly hare. After all, when Bear chooses the tops, Hare plants carrots. When Bear understands his mistake he chooses bottoms and Hare plants lettuce and celery. And when Bear demands both the tops AND the bottoms, Hare plants corn and gets the middle. In the end, Bear learns the benefits of hard work (and staying on top of things) and Hare has enough money from the crops to own his own land again.

A word of caution: If you're using this book with the intention of utilizing it to teach youngsters about farming cycles, cease and desist. In the course of this tale, Hare harvests his crops three times over the summer months. His youngsters also weed the garden of unusually hardy dandelions each and every time Bear instructs Hare to plant again. Still, as complaints go this one's fairly petty. The story is funny and well written. Hare has a wonderful way of roping Bear into the deal, coming off with phrases like, "Yes, sir, Bear, we're in this together. I'll work and you sleep". Better still are the illustrations. From Bear's permanently loose tie and oversized shoes to Hare's gaudy carrot covered Hawaiian shirt, the characters here are alive and kicking. Stevens also has a great talent drawing vegetables. I've rarely seen the stems of radishes as wonderfully rendered as they are in this book. And best of all, Hare is aided and abetted by his hard working kin. Baby rabbits fill the pages, usually hiding over, under, above, and through every vegetable in the book. My favorite moment was the scene in which Hare presents the tops AND bottoms of the corn. There, in the lower left hand corner stands Mrs. Hare, studiously removing the roots of the plant to place in the "bottoms" pile.

In effect, Janet Stevens has taken the essence of the Brer Rabbit tales and switched the message about 180 degrees. And you know what? It doesn't matter. Because Hare still gets the best of Bear and the story is a well-told romp. Add in the gorgeous pictures and the amazing format and you've got yourself a bonafide hit. As great read aloud books go, this is definitely one of the best. A highly recommended story time favorite.

Wonderful!
I enjoyed reading this and looking at the pictures as much as a child. To me, that's a real hit when you have both the child and adult looking forward to the reading.

What a shrewd bunny!
The characters are amazing... and amazingly easy to impersonate.
My children love when I give each of the main characters (bear and rabbit) a different voice. The story is really about entrepreneurship, but the little ones only need to know the difference between a root vegetable and a leaf vegetable. Anyway, my kids cannot look at a corn field now without saying "Tops or Bottoms"? And that to me is the best compliment given to a book. ... Read more

Book Description

Raven, the Native American trickster, feels sorry for those who must live in darkness, and he decides to help. He flies over mountains, valleys, and lakes and discovers that light is being kept hidden inside the house of the Sky Chief. Using his cleverness, Raven finds a way to bring light to the world. “The physical environment, oral literature, and traditional life of the Pacific Coast Indians come alive in this amusing and well-conceived picture book.”--School Library Journal ... Read more

Reviews (7)

How Raven brought the people of the world the gift of light
One of the recurring figures of myths and legends from around the world is the trickster, known as Zemo the Rabbit in West Africa, Jabuti the Tortoise in the Amazon, and Raven in the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, from the coast of the Pacific Northwest to as far north as Alaska it is Raven who is the central character in many Native American myths and tales as a trickster of a cosmic scale, who might be a mischief-maker but who is also a cultural hero. Both brave and cunning, Raven is a shape-shifter who has magical powers. Sometimes he causes havoc with his mischief, but other times he gives his people gifts like that of fire.

In this Caldecott Honor Book "Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest," Gerald McDermott retells a story that is told in various versions among all the tribes of the area. When he sees that the world was in darkness and the people lived in the dark and the cold Raven wants to give them the gift of light, but that means he has to find out where the Sky Chief keeps that particular treasure. So he goes to the house of the Sky Chief and, seeing the Sky Chief's daughter, Raven changes into a pine needle that falls into the water so that when she takes a drink she swallows the pine needle. Then the girl gives birth to the Raven as a boy child.

Young readers will enjoy the great length to which Raven goes to bring the people of the world the gift of light as well as the way McDermott contrasts the sharp colors of Raven with the pastels of the world in which he lives and plays his tricks. McDermott has written and illustrated many books on myth, such as the Pueblo myth of the "Arrow to the Sun," and the African tale of "Anansi the Spider." Other books in this series tell other tales of the trickster from around the world, giving young readers and teachers alike ample evidence that this is indeed a universal figure. However, children should be warned that as they find other stories of Raven that he is not always as generous as he is in this particular tale.

glorious, sumptuous and respectful
I get antsy when Native American themes and stories appear in children's books. Too often they reek of cultural misappropriation.

But this beautiful book--gorgeous watercolor backgrounds to the Northwest Native American-style imagery--feels respectful, and does a great telling of a favorite Tlingit Haida tale of how light came into the world.

The illustration of the morphing of the Sky Chief's spoiled grandson back into Raven is particularly effective.And when Raven fills the sky with the sun in his beak, it's very easy to buy into this story as a valid creation myth.

I've now bought three copies of this book for various pre-schoolers I know, and all my grown-up friensd who've seen this book have fallen in love with it, too. This is a definite winner, bound to become as classic in its own way as Robert McCloskey's ``Blueberries for Sal.''

They ask to listen to it again and again!
The children in my Pre-K class cannot get enough of this book. The magic of the illustrations and the text has them mesmerized. Many times, when we have finished reading the story, they want to here it again!

Beautiful Illustrations
This is a wonderful book! My daughter and I really enjoyed the way that this tale was re-told and the illustrations were beautiful!

The tale of the Raven and the Sun.
This book for children is based on the myth of the mischievious Raven from the Indians of the Pacific Northwest and how the Raven discovered the Sun and placed it in the sky. The book was a 1994 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a children's book. Every child I've come across has enjoyed this story and loved the illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

Wherever Coyote goes you can be sure he’ll find trouble. Now he wants to sing, dance, and fly like the crows, so he begs them to teach him how. The crows agree but soon tire of Coyote’s bragging and boasting. They decide to teach the great trickster a lesson. This time, Coyote has found real trouble!
... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great book about a funny coyote!
I like it because when the Coyote meets some birds he wants to fly with, all the birds give him one of their right feathers, but he didn't balance. So they each gave him left feathers, but he still didn't balance. And the reason he didn't balance was because he needed one left feather and one right feather. - AMD, Age 7. ... Read more

Book Description

In this adaptation of the well-loved fairy tale, the father still has his head in the clouds and the stepmother is as mean as ever. But this story is set in the Last Frontier, and its details and imagery reflect Alaska's landscape and sensibility: the fairy godmother becomes an eagle spirit, the glass slipper a fisherwoman's boot. Evocative writing and colorful artwork distinguish this playful retelling of the classic. Here children learn about cultures and ways of life but happy endings are still the rule. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Charming Update on Cinderella
My 6 year old loved this book. It's a charming update on Cinderella, with a spunky heroine that can help herself and really beautiful pictures. A great for any kid in the Northwest who is around salmon alot. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Golem is the Hebrew word for shapeless man. According to Jewish legend, the renowned scholar and teacher Rabbi Loew used his powers to create a Golem from clay in order to protect his people from persecution in the ghettos of 16th-century Prague. (This was the time of the Blood Lie, when hostile gentiles claimed that Jews were mixing the blood of Christian children with the flour and water of matzo.) David Wisniewski's cut-paper collage illustrations--which earned him the Caldecott Medal in 1997--are the ideal medium for portraying the stark black-and-white forces of good and evil, pride and prejudice, as well as the gray area that emerges when the tormented clay giant loses control of his anger. Echoing the tension and mood of Frankenstein, Wisniewski sends the tragic giant back to the blood red earth that birthed him. The historical note on the last page offers a broader context for the legend, ultimately comparing the creation of Golem to the emergence of Israel. (Ages 8 and older) --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Read with Care: Golem is Wonderful but *Disturbing*
Golem is a gorgeously illustrated, well-written, and educational tale, with deep connections to Jewish tradition and faith. However, the story is also very sad and distressing, especially for those who are impressionable or sensitive. I suggest that parents review this book carefully, looking through their children's eyes, before sharing it even with teenagers; likewise, I suggest they be prepared for some nearly unanswerable questions.

The book retells the legend of Rabbi Leow and the Golem he created from clay to protect the Jews of Prague during a time of danger for them. Anti-semitic factions within the city were spreading rumors that Passover matzoh was made with the blood of Christian children; this rumor, called the Blood Lie, led to attacks and abuses of the defenseless Jews. Already, the story is a deeply distressing one, too upsetting for the average child. It gets worse, though - the Golem, who calls Rabbi Leow 'Father,' protects and saves the Jews, and then begs the Rabbi not to kill him. Leow does anyway. While the message here is one about the wise use of power, it was mostly lost on our family, since at that point everyone was crying too hard to think at all.

There's no doubt that the book is well presented. It's beautiful, with cut-paper illustrations that seem to spring off the page. However, even these gorgeous pictures cast a pall; they are grim in tone and appearance, at times giving a hellish cast to a story that needed no further embroidering in that department. The novel medium - photographs of cut paper - and the success with which it is used do merit the Caldecott Medal.

However, unlike most Caldecott books, this one is not for casual or entertainment reading, nor is it for children. I can't emphasize this enough. I would never read this book with children younger than 12, or ones unfamiliar with Jewish history; even as it is, I more than half regret sharing it, despite its beauty, depth, and educational value. It provoked some painful questions (in particular, about the cruelty of all people, including Rabbi Leow) and left us all depressed.

Fable of Jewish Self-Defense Against Persecution
This book won the Caldecott Medal in 1997 for being the best illustrated children's book of that year. The book is filled with powerful two-page spreads that highlight the struggle between good and evil, love and hatred, and spiritual forces against human ones. The images are built from cut-outs turned into complex collages featuring primary colors that give a sense of the images racing across the page. You will feel like you are looking at an animated cartoon rather than an illustrated book.

The golem is "a giant of living clay animated by Cabala (mystical teachings of spiritual power)" performed by Judah Loew ben Bezalel, chief rabbi of Prague, in 1580. Jews were under attack by their neighbors because of a false rumor (called the "Blood Lie") that during Passover the unleavened matzoh of flour and water was being mixed with the blood of Christian children. With the help of the powerful golem, the emperor sues for peace, and promises the security of the Jews. The golem is turned back into unanimated clay.

This book is a pretty heavy duty look at how humans can be inhuman to other humans. Most children will not be comfortable with the message in this book until after they have learned about the Holocaust. Sensitive children will probably always feel uncomfortable with the story.

When was the last time you learned a lot from a children's book? Personally, I was fascinated by the story. I knew a little about golems from having attended art exhibitions about them. I also have a number of golems in my collection. But this book taught me more about golems that everything I knew before I read it.

There is an excellent note at the end that helps explain what the rabbi did in the fable in terms of its religious significance. For example, I would have thought that it was against Jewish law to animate clay (no images). The book explains that there is an exception available that was followed here. I also did not know that Frankenstein was inspired, in part, by this fable. I would have liked to know more about that.

The story raises many interesting ethical questions. For example, why didn't the emperor protect his Jewish neighbors until his subjects were threatened by the golem? Why could the rabbi take life away from the golem, when the golem wanted to continue to live? What responsibility did the rabbi have when the golem lost control? Why did the rabbi observe Kaddish for the golem? A great use of this story would be to discuss some of these points with a rabbi available to help clarify the fable's meaning in terms of the Jewish religion.

After you finish thinking about the story, I suggest that you extend your consideration to include ways that misunderstandings can be avoided that create violence. If this situation were to occur during Passover in Prague in 2002, what would good things be to do?

Open your eyes, your ears, your heart, and your soul to love God and your fellow humans!

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