K'tonton's Sukkot Adventure
PreSchool-Grade 3-Weilerstein first published her stories about K'tonton in 1937. This new picture-book version of one of them explains the thumb-sized boy's extraordinary birth and relates one of his adventures. When Sukkot arrives, K'tonton asks to accompany his father to synagogue, and when the man tells him to "'Wait until you're a little bigger'" he hides in a small box used to carry the etrog (a symbolic fruit used on Sukkot). Once there, the tiny fellow climbs onto a long leaf of the lulav (willow and myrtle branches) in order to have a better view and holds on as it is waved during the service. He is discovered when, overcome by fervor, his clear voice rings out in the singing of the prayers. As always, his transgression is forgiven by his doting parents. The didacticism has been totally removed from the original story. Contemporary expressions have been substituted for outdated ones and the tempo has been picked up. In other words, K'tonton has been much improved, but the main elements of the story and of the holiday remain. The witty, expressive pen-and-ink sketches add to the book's appeal.Marcia Posner, Federation of New York and the Jewish Book Council, New York CityCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.