Sholom's Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer

by Erica Silverman, Mordicai Gerstein (Illustrator)

The boy whose stories became Fiddler on the Roof

Sholom Aleichem's favorite childhood memory may have been listening as his father read stories aloud on Saturday nights and a roomful of adults burst out laughing. Sholom wanted to make people laugh, too. At school he became the class clown. At home he imitated even his pious grandmother. But Sholom was also thoughtful. In Russia in the 1800s, life was especially difficult for Jews, and Sholom longed to help his father by finding a legendary hidden treasure. It turned out that Sholom Aleichem's destiny was to give his father a different kind of treasure - one of words and tales that to this day bring laughter to readers around the world.

This taut, focused biography of the young Sholom Aleichem is animated with the artist's quick, brilliant line and richly toned watercolors.

Genres: Jewish, Picture Books, Biography, Childrens, Nonfiction, History, Historical

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2005

Reviews

[Kindra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audience: 2nd-6th grade, boys especially
Appeal: book is about boy who is made fun of and turns out to be writer. takes bad circumstances and makes them into good ones.
Award: Sydney Taylor award, 2006

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this picture book childhood bio of Sholom Aleichem, told in a way that feels like a work of fiction! The illustrations are cute and scratchy and really make you feel the cold of Russia and the clutter of the homes and kheyders. Highly recommended!

[Gila · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautifully illustrated book about the childhood of famous Yiddish author Sholom Aleichem

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

The childhood of celebrated Jewish author Sholom Aleichem, whose writings inspired Fiddler on the Roof, was marred by the death of his mother, poor economic conditions, and his loving father’s remarriage to a hateful woman. Sholom found solace and power in making others laugh, a gift that helped him pen more than 6,000 essays, plays, and novels in his lifetime. Silverman relays the story with touches of sadness, playfulness, and hope. Gerstein’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations are an excellent match, contrasting Sholom’s impishness against the step-mother’s harshness. Pair this with Simms Taback’s Kibitzers and Fools: Tales My Zayda (Grandfather) Told Me for an amusing look at Jewish culture.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those familiar with the work of Sholom Aleichem, this is the perfect book to introduce a little more about the man. I'm not entirely sure what messages his biography gives to young children, but they will be entertained by this story. He was a fascinating man.

[BookOfLife]

Hear an interview about Sholom's Treasure with author Erica Silverman and illustrator Mordicai Gerstein on The Book of Life podcast's January 2006 episode at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

[Jim March · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age appropriate for 1st-3rd grade. Protagonist is Sholom Aleichem (Rabinowitz). No non-print format available. Taylor award winner for picture book 2006. Excellent illustrations.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was about a writer I hadn't heard of, and it didn't really make me want to read his books.