Kishka for Koppel

November 1, 2011

K-Gr 3-In this Jewish retelling of the Grimm Brothers' "Three Wishes," Koppel finds a wish-granting meat grinder. The junk man and his wife, Yetta, dream of all the riches they'll wish for, but inevitably they end up wishing for kishka (a kind of sausage), and subsequently wishing it onto and off Koppel's nose. All ends well as the meat grinder points out how lucky they are to have each other (plus a delicious kishka). The naive, folksy cartoon illustrations are expressive and lend a lighthearted air with their varying perspectives and bright acrylic colors. The storytelling is lively and humorous. The Yiddish speech patterns will amuse readers familiar with that style but may pass over the heads of others. However, many modern children may be tripped up by unfamiliar concepts such as the job of junk man, the old-fashioned meat grinder, and kishka, described in the text as "stuffed sheep guts" and unappetizingly illustrated. These distractions may somewhat dilute the message of being happy with what you have.-Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2011

The traditional tale of three wishes gone wrong is here retold with a Jewish flavor as a magic meat grinder helps a junk man and his wife remember what's important in life.

In storyteller Davis' version, Koppel and Yetta dream of gems, a jewelry store, a throne and a mountain of cheesecake, but they end up with kishka on Koppel's nose instead. The tale is told in rapid-fire dialogue appropriately reminiscent of borscht-belt humor. Yiddish terms, including those in the title, are defined in a glossary. Cohen's acrylic paintings facing the text add to the humor. One wordless double-page spread, repeated on the back cover, shows the couple's fantastic dreams. Careful details bring their world to life. Fallen leaves in the city alley echo the junkman's loss of hope. Their tiny house is filled with trash on one side but has a tidy, carefully swept living area, complete with clarinet and music stand. At the end, the grinder's whirring handle emphasizes the couple's contentment in their small domestic circle. The theme of gratitude is a familiar one for the author of Bagels from Benny (illustrated by Dušan Petricic, 2003) and makes a nice addition to this often-told tale, which lacks only an acknowledgement of sources.

A fresh look at an old favorite. (Picture book. 4-8)

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December 1, 2011
Grades 4-8 Canadian storyteller Davis teams up with illustrator Cohen to offer a fresh take on the old tale The Three Wishes. In this version Koppel, a poor Jewish peddler, discovers a magic meat grinder with attitude ( Do I look like Elijah? ). At home Koppel and his wife dither about what to request, accidentally wishing for a huge hunk of kishka (an eastern European sausage that is made from beef or sheep intestine and stuffed with flour, fat, and spices). Wishes two and three find the kishka attached to Koppel's nose and then off again, leaving the pair no richer but more satisfied with what they have. Cohen's folksy acrylic art features oversize eyes and exaggerated facial expressions well suited to Davis' borscht beltstyle comedic retelling. Subtle details signal a contemporary urban Canadian setting, and an appended glossary explains the Yiddish terms. Adapted from the duo's 2006 animation The Three Wishes, this makes a good choice for libraries seeking a replacement for Paul Galdone's The Three Wishes (1961), and it should be popular with storytellers and listeners alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)