Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost

by Ann Redisch Stampler, Jacqueline M. Cohen (Illustrations)

Lazy Shlemazel is convinced he has no luck. But Moshke the tinker promises him that his luck will change if he sets to work using the "amazing, remarkable spoon of Pohost." Shlemazel gets busy--tilling the poretz's field, helping the miller, and baking cakes with pretty Chaya Massel. Although "luck" remains elusive, what Shlemazel does find is even better.
Lively Chagall-like illustrations capture the spirit of this traditional Jewish tale, a funny and thought-provoking look at how we make our own luck. Author's note, glossary.

Genres: Picture Books, Jewish, Childrens, Folk Tales, Fiction

40 pages, ebook

First published July 24, 2006

About the author

Ann Redisch Stampler is the author of the young adult novels Afterparty and Where It Began as well as half a dozen picture books. Her work has garnered an Aesop accolade, the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor honors, the Middle East Book Award, and Bank Street Best Books of the Year mentions. How to Disappear (Simon Pulse, 2016), her first young adult thriller, will be released in June. Ann lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband Rick.

Reviews

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm crying. this makes me so happy!!! a sweet and funny shtetl story from the old country how a shlemazl is tricked into working hard to "find his luck." he becomes a baker but also he gets married!!!! he says that Chaya Massel doesn't care that he has no luck and that she married him because she loves him! I just imagine a glowing sweet warm unconditional love in the cold shtetl and I know everything will be OK for them! I'm so happy for them! 😥😥😥

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really well done. It's long, so be aware of that if using it for a read-aloud, but I like the way the story is constructed and told as well as the back matter that includes pronunciations and some family history of where the story came from. My 5-year-old was ENGROSSED.

[Casey Strauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shlemazel’s name in Yiddish means “no luck”, so when his friends tell him that he is lazy, he protests saying, “I am not lazy. I’m unlucky.” One Day, Moshke, the tinker of the village and a hardworking man, decides to show the other villagers that Shlemazel is indeed lucky and able to be hardworking. Moshke presents Shlemazel with the “amazing, remarkable spoon of Pohost”, telling him that it is the luckiest spoon that brings blessings to all that use it. Using the spoon to look for luck, Shlemazel realizes that he is not so unlucky after all and finds success through hard work.

Ann Redisch Stampler’s grandmother emigrated from the Eastern European village of Pohost, brining with her many stories to tell her family. One of the stories Stampler remembers her grandmother telling her is the story of Shlemazel. At the end of the book is an author’s note giving background information and also a glossary with word pronunciation. Jacqueline M. Cohen’s illustrations are vibrant and enjoyable, bringing the character of Shlemazel to life. The lesson to be learned from Shlemazel is that, in the end, hard work really does pay off. Students in second grade through fourth grade would enjoy listening to this story, as well as the illustrations. This book could be used in a folk tale unit, paired with other folk tales from other cultures.

[Karissa Fankhauser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luck is not something that young Jewish fellow Shlemazel ever felt was on his side. In fact, he was so convinced that something bad might happen to him, he never left his front porch! The local village people thought that he was lazy and worthless, until one day when his friend Moshke developed a clever plan to get Shlemazel moving. With the promise of luck just by using the remarkable spoon of Pohost, Shlemazel set out to work. Along the way, he learned a trade, found a sweet girl to marry, and got his life together, but still he admitted that he found no luck even with the spoon's help. Shlemazel eventually determined that hard work is better than luck anyway. This book would be a great way to initially submerse students in the Jewish culture, assuming there weren't many (or any in the class). Between the Jewish names, words, and phrases, I found myself checking the glossary at the back multiple times to help with comprehension, as I think students would need to do as well. I thought that the story was hard to follow at times and I had a hard time predicting where I thought it was going or how I thought it would end. It doesn't exactly wrap the moral of the story up in a nice neat package like I would have liked, and for that reason I think I would be less likely to use in the classroom.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this uproarious children's picture book, Ann Redisch Stampler retells a Yiddish-Polish folktale about a lazy man named Shlemazel (the word for 'no luck' in Yiddish) whom his fellows spur to action by tricking him into thinking the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost will bring him luck.

He goes digging for it and thereby plows the unkept field of the local rich landowner; sifting through grain for it, filling the miller's sacks with flour; and stirring the batter for the beautiful Chaya Massey, the village baker. In his quest for luck he finds instead there is plenty of work to be done, and in the process he becomes an honest, hardworking, dependable man who keeps the Sabbath and marries.

The illustrations by Jacqueline M. Cohen are simple depictions of Polish Jews with wonderfully expressive faces and gestures. I recommend the book to children of all ages, but especially to anyone with a lazy streak. It teaches a good moral while gibing at laziness and sloth in a fun-loving manner.

[BookOfLife]

Hear an interview about Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost with author Ann Redisch Stampler on The Book of Life podcast's January 2007 episode at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

[Joey Gremillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute story with wonderful, Chagall-esque illustrations!