I enjoyed these tales. Nicely illustrated! It comes with two CDs, but I didn't have a chance to listen. It was a quick read. I greatly appreciated the bibliography and list of sources at the back. It sent me off on a quest to find more. There is also a list of signs and symbols that explaining some things further. A well thought out presentation of some wonderful stories. ( )

This book shares several Jewish folktales so as to help promote the transmission of JEwish stories, culture, and values to future generations. Gelfand starts the book with a story about prayers passed down through the JEwish people, and how what was lost over time turned the prayer into a story. This shows the power of story and shows that in the absence of full knowledge of the traditions, for any reason, "knowing the story has to be enough" [for God]. The tales draw children into an ancient or old-country world where people learn right from wrong and how to determine who is doing good in the world. This book provides cultural education for children of all faith backgrounds and admirable values of giving others, loyalty, and belief in the good of others. ( )