Sack Full of Feathers

August 28, 2006
A boy fond of spreading gossip and rumors—"other people's stories"—witnesses the ripple effects of his actions in this entertaining, if somewhat lengthy, retelling of a Jewish folktale. Whenever he overhears a snippet of conversation or observes villagers engaging in any activity he deems interesting, Yankel can't wait to tell his friends, embellishing the anecdotes to make them even livelier. This practice results in lots of half-truths and potentially harmful information floating around town. Luckily, the local rabbi has been watching Yankel, and has a creative way to help him see the error of his ways. It involves delivering feathers to every doorstep, and then trying to collect them again. (This plot thread will be familiar to those who have read Mr. Peabody's Apples
by Madonna, illus. by Loren Long.) Waldman's text retains all the hallmarks of a traditional tale, but the real spark here is Revell's chipper artwork. Zippy page borders and spot illustrations with unusual shapes are among the design elements that give her textured acrylics some oomph. A cast of (mostly) spotted cats and a jaunty Yankel springing through the pages number among the memorable character depictions. Ages 4-8.

February 1, 2007
K-Gr 3-When the rabbi overhears Yankel spreading damaging rumors, he gives the boy a sack of feathers, instructing him to place one feather on the doorstep of each house in their village. When the child reports back to the rabbi, he's told to collect the feathers-an impossibility that illustrates the uncontrollable nature of gossip. Animated acrylic artwork amplifies the Eastern European shtetl setting of this folktale. Waldman's decision to use a boy as the careless blabbermouth instead of the customary old yenta may give this cautionary tale more immediacy for children than Joan Rothenberg's "Yettele's Feathers" (Hyperion, 1995). The flavor of the straightforward language, however, has little of the zesty humor that gives Rothenberg's picture book its sparkle."Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2006
Yankel loves to tell stories and repeat the gossip that he hears in his father's store in the shtetl. The baker Reb Wulff talks about losing his glasses and putting salt instead of sugar in the cookies. Two women fight over a bolt of fabric they both want. Unfortunately, Yankel only hears the bits and pieces that make trouble, not how things turn out. So the rabbi decides to teach the boy a lesson by making him see that stories spread and that they can be hurtful. The fun in this retelling of a Jewish folktale is not in the lesson, but in the setting, the people, and the stories they tell. The bright acrylic folk art shows the characters gossiping, quarreling ("they were fighting like cats"), and, finally, getting together to enjoy steaming soup and share delicious cookies made with sugar.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)