Golemito

by Ilan Stavans, Teresa Villegas (Illustrator)

Originally published in the children’s magazine Cricket, Golemito is the story of how a couple of Jewish boys in Mexico City confront bullying by creating a Golem, the mythical creature of Jewish folklore, originally made by Rabbi Lowe, known as the Maharal of Prague, in the sixteenth century, to defend the city’s Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks. Sammy Nurko, along with the story’s narrator, conjures an Aztec version of the Golem that is minute in size and responds to enchanting Nahuatl poetry. Written by internationally renowned, prize-winning author Ilan Stavans and illustrated by Teresa Villegas, Golemito is both an endearing tale of courage and redemption and an enthralling fusion of the Jewish and Latino traditions.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

Ilan Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College. An award-winning writer and public television host, his books include Growing Up Latino and Spanglish. A native of Mexico City, he lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.