The narrative follows a historian's quest to uncover his maternal family's remarkable migration from Tsarist Russia to America. Through extensive research, he reveals the lost story of their journey, highlighting the challenges and triumphs they faced along the way. This exploration not only sheds light on his family's past but also reflects broader themes of identity and heritage.
A little girl grows up to be an accomplished artist in this sumptuously illustrated book about the small things that lead to a rich and fulfilling life. All You need Is a planet to live on, A sun to give you light, And warmth. . . In All You Need, poet Howard Schwartz’s graceful, deceptively simple text describes a handful of things anyone needs to live a rich and fulfilling life, made all the more potent by the illustrations of debut picture book artist Jasu Hu, who uses her talents to create a rich and powerful narrative describing her own journey, creative and otherwise, from a childhood in China to her arrival to study art in New York. Ultimately, she creates her own book, this book, a gift to her distant parents.
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here. Tales of magic and wonder can be found in every phase of Jewish literature, from the sacred to the secular. The fairy tale in particular--set in enchanted lands and populated with a variety of human and supernatural beings, both good and evil--holds a very special place in the Jewish tradition. For in the fairy tale, where good and evil engage in a timeless struggle, we have a clear reflection of the Jewish world view, where faith in God can defeat the evil impulse. In Elijah's Violin, Howard Schwartz offers a sumptuous collection of thirty-six Jewish fairy tales from virtually every corner of the world. At once otherworldy and earthy, pious and playful, these celebrated tales from Morocco and India, Spain and Eastern Europe, Babylon and Egypt, illustrate not only their Jewish character but also their universality of themes. Invoking the biblical tale of David and Goliath, we read as King David defeats the giant by hovering above its spear in King David and the Giant. In the romantic tale of The Princess in the Tower, a variant of Rapunzel, we watch as the cautious King Solomon recognizes the vanity in trying to prevent Providence from taking place. And we see the religious nature of the quest for Elijah's violin in the title story. The successful completion of the king's quest enables the violin's imprisoned melodies, emblematic of the Jewish spirit, to be set free. Throughout this richly illustrated collection, one can find the quests and riddles of the traditional fairy tale along with the divine intervention that characterizes the Jewish fairy tale. Skillfully translated, these stories will captivate children and adults alike in which romance and magic become enchantingly entwined with faith, duty, and wisdom.
Známý folklorista Howard Schwartz zpracoval prostě a elegantně starou talmudickou legendu o pouti duše před zrozením. Jeho slova spolu s nádhernými ilustracemi Kristiny Swarnerové činí z příběhu Než jsi přišel na svět skvělou knížku pro čtení před spaním – i pro jakýkoliv jiný čas. "Jednou v noci, když jsi byl malý a měsíc stál v úplňku, vlezl sis do mé náruče. Vyprávěj mi o tom, jak to bylo, než jsem přišel na svět, řekl jsi. A přitulil ses blíž a poslouchal. Kdysi dávno se anděl Lajla, který zná všechna nebeská tajemství, o některá z nich s tebou podělil. To bylo tenkrát, když tvá duše přebývala v nejvyšším nebi, v Pokladnici všech duší. Ve chvíli, kdy ses narodil, položil Lajla svůj prst na tvé rty a řekl: Pšššt, a ty jsi všechno zapomněl. Ale neboj se, v této knize všechna ta nádherná tajemství znovu odhalíš. A dokonce se dozvíš, jak jsi přišel k tomu malému důlku na svém horním rtu."