Solomon and the Ant: And Other Jewish Folktales
Grade 5 Up–An unusually varied and useful collection of 44 folktales ranging from legends involving the ethical dilemmas of King Solomon to stories of the Prophet Elijah to wisdom tales of ancient rabbis to universal stories given a Jewish slant and selections from near-modern times. The inspiration for Obermans retellings stems from many cultures and continents, yet his direct, relatively unadorned language manages to convey the time and atmosphere of each setting. Sometimes reverent, sometimes jocular, each of the stories has something to teach. Oberman appends explanatory notes and source information to each folktale. Penninah Schram, who completed the editing after Obermans death, has augmented the commentaries. Scholars will appreciate the notes indicating folkloric motifs and variants as well as the full bibliography. This is a gold mine for storytellers and educators alike.–Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.