K-Gr 4--Kimmel's voice in these stories is so authentic that it is hard to distinguish the retellings from the new selections. He says in his author's note, "Writing a good Chelm story is a challenge. You almost have to think like a Chelmer to do it." Who else would figure out that a dreidel needs no letters or that a hayfork can contain the soul of a menorah? Who but a resident of Chelm could outwit a Cossack with a piece of cheese, or find true wisdom in a barrel of rotten herring? And leave it to the townspeople to honor their wisest citizen with a pair of golden slippers to wear on his ears. Gerstein's cartoonlike, ink-on-oil-paint depictions of the town's inhabitants are as brightly drawn and silly as the stories themselves. However, as Kimmel notes in the title story, what we all take for foolishness may simply be wisdom beyond understanding. Whatever the case, this collection is a true gem, perfect for sharing and reading aloud, and if readers can keep themselves from devouring it in one fell swoop, they might discover that it contains enough spirit, laughter, and pathos to last all eight nights of Hanukkah.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Cahners Publishing Company
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group