About this title: A retelling of the story of Rabbi Loew who shaped a giant man--a golem--out of clay, and brought him to life. The golem was created to protect the Jews of Prague from their persecutors; unfortunately, the golem performed his job almost too well. This version of the story is accompanied by colorful cut-paper illustrations. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 19 96 and winner of the 1997 Caldecott Medal.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Good. No Jacket. Ex-Library Hardboards well worn at the corners. School library book. Text unmarked. Pages lightly creased from use. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Clarion
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780395726181ISBN:0395726182
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. NOT an ex-library; attractive, unclipped dj has a little edge bend and a small area of moisture exposure on inside edge which has not effected book cov; spine straight and solid; unmarked, uncreased pages. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sandpiper
Date Published: 2007-11-19
ISBN-13:9780618894246ISBN:0618894241
Description: Good. Minimal damage to the cover, dust jacket not necessarily included minimal wear to binding, majority of pages undamaged, minimal to no highlighting/underlining of text, no missing p. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Sandpiper
Date Published: 2007-11-19
ISBN-13:9780618894246ISBN:0618894241
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
"This story is an excellent one to include when dealing with themes of prejudice at an intermediate or middle school level. It first off deals with the idea of how much is enough when it comes to the endurance of great injustices done to a certain group of people. Although this story is about the prejudices encountered by the Jews of Prague in the late 1500s, the tale can be applied to many other segregated and persecuted groups of people. At some point that group of people must decide that enough is enough; no more lies, violence, or other maltreatment can be tolerated. However, this cautionary tale reminds us that victims should not retaliate to the point of becoming bullies themselves. When does the defense against wickedness become just as malevolent and malicious as the original acts of ill-treatment? Here is where another theme emerges: How much power is too much? When people try to play the part of the divine, they can end up getting hurt, or hurting others. This is a theme found in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", "The Birthmark," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many comic books, and numerous other stories. These stories demonstrate that such alluring power, though perhaps intended for the good of others, may lead to ultimate destruction (sometimes of the very things intended to be protected)."
"This Caldecott Honor book draws upon Jewish mythology to tell to the story of the persecution of the Jews in Prague in 1580. The Jews were forced to live in a walled ghetto and were accused of killing Christian babies and using their blood for their ancient rituals. The chief rabbi, Judah Loew ben Bezalel, creates a golem out of clay to protect the Jewish people. As the golem spends more time alive, it begins to acquire a human yearning for life. The golem, however, was only created to protect the Jews as long as they needed him, and after it has rebuffed several violent attacks and frightened the emperor into a withdrawal of his men, the rabbi returns the golem to the earth. The artwork for the volume, also by David Wisniewski, is made up of cut-paper illustrations, which are layered like a collage and then photographed. This adds a depth to the illustrations that is very eye-catching. The amount of detail that can be conveyed with this method is impressive, and the intricacies of the art supports the old-world feeling of the story; something that computer-manipulated illustrations would be unable to convey. The language in this picture book is quite sophisticated and the themes of the difference between life and humanity can lead to some complicated discussions. The scene of the rabbi consigning the golem to the earth once more despite his pleas for life is particularly emotional, and may lead some readers to question the justice of his decision. There is also a page-long endnote about the history of the golem in Jewish mythology, and a short history of the persecution of the Jews, for further discussion."
"Read this to my 6 year old and after the book he said he didn't understand the story and to tell you the truth I didn't either. I felt bad for the clay man, he wanted to live life, and wasn't allowed which was sad because he had saved so many people. Wouldn't read this to my kids again."
"I attempted to read this story to my 4 year old. We didn't get past the first page after it said, "Enemies had accused them of mixing the blood of christian children with the flour and water of matzoh.." needless to say, this is NOT a book for children."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
