"...set it upon the fire empty, and it will produce as many delicious Hanukkah latkes as you wish. Latkes by the dozen, latkes by the hundreds will appear until you remove the pan from the stove. Just remember the stranger's warning: "To Moishe this gift was given, and only Moishe must see it."
With such a gift, Moishe, his wife Baila, and the entire village of Wishniak can have a Hanukkah like no other. They will dance and sing and feast on latkes all because of a mysterious frying pan provided by a stranger and some talking cows grateful for Moishe's generosity. But what of the warning? Will the magic pan still fry up latkes as plump as little pillows if Baila uses it? Or will it fry up something totally unexpected...?
Laura Krauss Melmed, author of the bestselling I Love You As Much..., and artist David Slonim have cooked up a wondrous and wholly original Hanukkah story, made from all the classic ingredients of Jewish folktales: mystery, humor, and good food.
On the night before Hanukkah, in the poor village of Wishniak, milkman Moishe's sharp-tongued wife, Baila, scolds him for being too generous with their hungry neighbors. Now they have no money to buy eggs and flour to make the traditional Hanukkah latkes. Moishe escapes to the cowshed to sleep in peace. When he awakens, he finds that his cows can speak to him: "MOO-oishe! MOO-oishe!" They inform him that he has been given a magical gift, a pan that, when set upon the fire totally empty, will produce as many latkes as he wishes. The gift comes with a warning, though. Only Moishe must use it. But what harm could it really do if Baila uses it just one time?
Laura Krauss Melmed and David Slonim create a wholly original Jewish folktale that celebrates generosity, the rebirth of a soul, and delicious potato latkes. Slonim's marvelous paintings seem candle-lit, with cozy golden oranges and shadowy blues. If we didn't know better, we'd believe this was a classic traditional Hanukkah tale. No matter. Given time, it may turn out to be just that! (Ages 5 to 10) --Emilie Coulter
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Magical tale that Everyone will love, Great for public schools:
I LOVE this story! I think it's for everyone, Jewish or not, because it is such fun, and be forewarned, it will make you crave potato pancakes. On a more analytical note, it is a great morality tale with an emphasis on the value of generosity. Elementary teachers will love that you can use this story to demonstrate 6 Traits of Writing: the word choice is divine. The artwork is beautiful and shows little details not specifically mentioned, but implied, about Moishe's generosity, like how he is always giving... more info
The miracle of giving:
In the poor village of Wishniak lived a milkman named Moishe and his wife Baila. He owned only two cows, and earned a meager living but was nevertheless always willing to help others. His wife, on the other hand, had the sharpest tongue in Wishniak.
In early winter one year, when "the wind prowled the icy lanes of the village like a starving jackal," many villagers hungered--including the widow Malka and her ailing son Shmuel, Heshy Fenster and his 13 children and the housebound Bubby (grandmother) Rifka... more info
A Celebration of Light!:
From the moment you pick this book up, you are drawn to the light! The light from the fires, the light from the candles, and the light that shines from Moishe's heart. Slonim's wonderful illustrations have taken this plain text and made it magical! Although this is a Hanukkah story it's message of generosity can be embraced by everyone. My only criticism, is how the white boxes that the text appear in, place too much control on the illustrations. This story is sure to become a holiday classic, right up... more info
Wow!:
This book is great! The illustrations are amazing. I like the part where he gets the pan from the cows. The story is good. This is a good book for all ages.
