Marilyn Hirsh

Author/illustrator Marilyn Hirsh takes the folkloric story of the wanderer who creates a delicious dish from seemingly nothing - tale type 1548 in the Aarne–Thompson–Uther folktale classification system, it is most commonly known through such tales as Stone Soup - and gives it an Eastern European Jewish shtetl setting in this picture-book for Hanukkah. When Samuel the peddler stops as a house on the first night of the holiday, he finds that the potato pancakes (latkes) have not yet been made, because Grandma Yetta and Grandma Sophie each insist that their recipe be used. Fortunately, Samuel knows what to do, stepping in with his claim that he can make the potato pancakes from a crust of bread...

I enjoyed Potato Pancakes All Around: A Hanukkah Tale, which is the second title I have picked up from Hirsch, following upon her The Rabbi and the Twenty-Nine Witches. Originally published in 1978, it is, like many of Hirsch's books, long out of print, and was discovered by me on my public library's Hanukkah display. The narrative is engaging, and full of humor—I particularly liked the two grandmas' outrage at Samuel's antics—while the artwork, done in ink with gold and brown tone washes meant to suggest sepia photographs, has a vintage charm. The inclusion of a recipe for potato pancakes, as well as a brief note about the history of Hanukkah at the rear of the book was a welcome addition. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for fun Hanukkah stories featuring appealingly old-fashioned settings and artwork.… (mais)

Witches haunt a town, a wise old rabbi comes up with a solution, and tricks the witches, who shrink into nothingness. I liked some of the small touches: The rabbi losing track of his plan when the banquet of food is set up, and the touch of compassion -- all the townsmen said it was a fate they wouldn't wish on their worst enemies. And the final scene, when everybody in town gets to enjoy a full moon, at last. [return][return]My 6yo listened intently and at the end, smiled and said, "I really liked that."… (mais)