Schmuel was a shoemaker whom the other people in Plotchnik called Poor Schmuel or Poor Stupid Schmuel because he often forgot to charge his customers and if they forgot pay, forgot to ask. But always somehow magically appeared whenever trouble emerged. To a beggar who came to town, Schmuel gave free and to a fierce bear which arrived in the streets, he gave a bowl of water.

No one cared if he prayed, because they figured he was too stupid to read, and God could therefore not hear them. When, during a drought everyone prayed for rain and none came, Schmuel meekly said from the rear of the synagogue, "Maybe I should pray. Please, God, send rain." Immediately, distant thunder roared, the sky blackened and huge raindrops began tapping on the town's roofs.

It rained for forty days and forty nights. Now the people prayed for the rain to stop, with equal success. Only when Schmuel said, "God, please make it stop raining" did the sun immediately appear.

That night the rabbi dreamed of Chanukah menorahs with 36 candles, and a banquet with 36 men. These were the Lamed Vavniks.

Lamed WHAT? Sorry, if you don't know, you'll have to get the book, which contains secrets about this special breed. If you know already, shhh! Stay as quiet as the stars, and let the Lamed Vavniks shine as brightly. Alyssa A. Lappen

A Lamed-Vavnik disappears/ Amongst us all for years and years./ This book should last for years as well/ A classic tale, as time will tell

Wonderful illustrations and a fabulous moral tale. Recommend for 4-6 year olds. It's a little over the head of my 3, but she's interested anyway.

I always thought Chelm stories were for older children and adults but Francine Prose has proven me wrong.

In this 21-page rendition of Chelm, that mythic town in Eastern Europe where all the people were fools, she introduces their most classic foibles.

When the man who woke the people every morning for prayers got too old to walk from house to house, they took their doors off the hinges and carried them to him so he could knock without leaving his yard. The people went barefoot in the snow so their shoes wouldn't get wet. They wore their hats upside down when it rained to keep them dry.

They built their new synogogue without a roof so their prayers could rise to heaven. They tried to move the mountain to remove their town from shadow. They tried to catch the moon and store it in a barrel. And when a fire broke out, they threw on logs to smother it. Needless to say, it burned higher.

This book has none of the character development or pithy dialogue of other Chelm volumes, but Mark Podwal's illustrations more than make up, in pictures, for the hallmark word-play of Chelm.

The angel's biggest mistake was letting this fine introduction to Jewish humor go out of print. Alyssa A. Lappen

My daughter (age 8) loves this book. It's one of her favorite read-alouds, and it's easy enough for her to read by herself. It is based on an old Jewish folk tale about a town in Eastern Europe where the people are incredibly stupid. The kids think it's hilarious.

It's too bad the demons who struck New York on September 11 didn't come from Chelm. Though fools, they'd have learned (from Francine Prose) the utter dementia induced by trying to tackle the New World with the Old.

They'd have been locked up in crates for 50 years, trying to get out. They'd have found that rubbing against party guests in embarrassing places, turning wine into vinegar, curdling the milk and tangling hair doesn't frighten people in a city that knows no darkness, even when the moon doesn't shine.

They'd have known that while gossip was to the Old World "like opening the door and letting the demons in," New World people gossiped all the time. They'd have learned that New Yorkers frightened the demons more than the demons frightened them.

Of course, Francine Prose did not write this story as an allegory about September 11, 2001. The book came out a year earlier. And Sept. 11 was obviously no joke.

Yet post Sept. 11, the New World voice Prose gave to Chelm's mythic Old World laughter and lessons seems addressed to the foolish medieval demons who struck at America's heart without cause: Only those smart enough to adapt survive and thrive. That's why we will win.

It's a good lesson, if only those demons would pay attention. And your kids will understand it, even if the demons don't. Alyssa A. Lappen

This story from Chelm features pictures by Mark Podwal and a tale which requires good reading skills as it tells of the demons of the Polish town of Chelm, where only fools live. The demons decide to move to New York City, but find the big city is more than a match for their spirits in The Demons' Mistake, a fine story of adjustments.

A lucid introduction to Jewish laws, traditions and customs, this book is an esthetiic delight as well. Fine paper, elegant text and attractive graphics add up to a book that is a pleasure to mind, hand and eye. The author,s love of the faith of her mothers and fathers enlightens every page. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it and profit by it

This book offers both Jews & non-Jews a basic understanding of the Jewish calendar & life-cycle events which go hand-in-hand. A wonderful gift for any Jewsih occasion

This book was very well written but just to top of a great book there were amazing illustrations.

Interesting to read in different chapters, and a good guideline for whats fact and fiction.

Junie B Jones is one of the books I have read, she so funny and she speaks her mind. and shes really young. this book is a very good book if you read this book you would know that its a good book.so read Junie B Jones. Jamie Smith,

I am 13 years old, and when my dad started reading Junie B. Jones books to my five-year-old sister, it was just another book. Then, I actually started listening to them. Now, whenever my dad brings home a Junie B. Book, I am right there next to him. They are written to sound exactly like who they portray, a kindergartener. This is a must read for everyone with kids, big and small, in their house. It should be a crime to correct the grammar. (Yucky Blucky Fruitcake is one of the especially good ones.)

Jonie B. Jones is one of the best books, You could read, because she shows lots of details, And shes really young, but shes really funny, Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake , For me it is one of my favorite books there are of the Jonie B. Jones books, She also says things like I did a huffy breath at that guy , But her books are the best. (...)

Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel tells tales, his wife provides translations, and Dr Podwal includes his magical drawings. Wiesel's commentaries are printed in red (for example, for the Four Sons, he comments on the idea of Four Generations and the transmittal of heritage from knowing (wise) to not-knowing(cant even ask the question)). The classic Hebrew and English text of the traditional haggadah are in black ink. The Haggadah is in Right to Left format. While in English and Hebrew, there are no transliterations.

fantastic! a true eye opener! a cute book with really neat and fun information! this book will explain a lot about tradition and passover!

This 1996 tale of a troublesome spirit that takes hold of a young woman had some help from The Dybbuk, the 1918 play of S. Ansky.

The Russian ethnographer had traveled from 1912 to 1914 collecting the Jewish legends, folktales, proverbs, songs and music on which he based his work. Those legends and folktales were based on the 17th century appearance of a literary dybbuk, who in turn sprang from early Jewish folklore.

In this case, the idea and illustrations are better than the text, which is strained in places. But it's a cute, not-so-terrifying way to introduce children to the dybbuk legend. Alyssa A. Lappen

Elie Wiesel's new children's book, King Solomon and His Magic Ring, is an unpleasantly surprising work. Wiesel, author of over forty works of fiction and non-fiction, stuns readers with an uninspiring, bland retelling of a famous legend. He attempts to catch our children's attention with a thin spidery plot that is difficult to grasp.

As a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Wiesel could have done much better for himself. Instead, he has written one more book that we are able to add to the growing pile of poorly written children's books lacking in stimuli. Surely, "Not only was Solomon the wisest of all rulers, he was also the mightiest." (12). Well, not only is that line cliché, it's also not something that would excite a young mind.

Speaking of exciting, the paintings featured in this piece are of very high quality and talent. However, they are not suitable for children. The art is too dark and depicts demons, giants, lions, and other things that might frighten younger readers. In addition to boring or perhaps scaring today's youth, Wiesel has also managed to impress upon them a couple of incorrect teachings, including one about women. "Solomon's worst mistake? His marriage to the daughter of the Pharaoh." (36) The daughter of the Pharaoh gives a poor example of women. The book describes her as an enthralling dancer who later tricks Solomon whilst he is under her spell. Not all women are evil temptresses out to control men through manipulative ways; the author should make that clear.

Now, what about this magic ring? "From the moment he slipped the ring on his finger, Solomon's authority extended over everything from spirits and animals to the wind." (14) That sounds a bit like mind control. Add that to the way Wiesel portrays King Solomon; a reader might think Wiesel was advocating ruling with an iron fist. Children's books are meant to be entertaining, yes, but not to cause the youngster to reach for incorrect ideals.

Our media claims '90's youth is desensitized to television murders and sex in the movies. However, since children are taught that books are the alleys towards truth, they tend to try to learn from them, rather than media. Let Wiesel not inadvertently poison the minds of tomorrow with works such as this.