Chelm for the Holidays

by Valerie Estelle Frankel, Sonja Wimmer (Illustrator)

Celebrating Jewish holidays has never been sillier than in Chelm, the Village of Fools! While the Chelmites try to solve problems―like outsmarting bees to get Rosh Hashanah honey, and keeping menorah candles lit without enough oil―their foolishness causes even more chaos. Enjoy these tall tales, old and new, one for each of ten holidays throughout the Jewish year.

Genres: Childrens, Jewish, Fiction, Humor, Holiday

72 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2019

About the author

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of 88 books on pop culture, including Doctor Who - The What, Where, and How; The Villain's Journey, History, Pop Culture, and Hidden Meanings in Hamilton; and How Game of Thrones Will End. Many of her books focus on women’s roles in fiction, from her heroine’s journey guides From Girl to Goddess and Superheroines and the Epic Journey to books like Star Wars Meets the Eras of Feminism and Fourth Wave Feminism in Science Fiction and Fantasy. She's editing a series on Jewish Science Fiction for Rowman & Littlefield. Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she now teaches at Mission College and is a frequent speaker at conferences. Come explore her research at www.vefrankel.com.

Reviews

[Joyce Schriebman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if the title isn't enough to make you giggle, the stories themselves will have you LOLing. For those not familiar with Chelm folktales through books or storytellers including Isaac Bashevis Singer, you are in for a real treat. And if you're familiar with these wacky citizens, you'll find Chelm for the Holidays a fresh reminder of why we love these stories. Of the ten classics, it's hard to pick a favorite...although Heavenly Blintzes and Everyone's Tu B'shvat tickled my funny bone. Matzah Holes, however, has to be my favorite. What a hoot! This book would make a lovely gift especially for pre-adolesents. But readers of any age will find hearty chuckles--and a little wisdom--in these pages.

[Sylvie Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was classified as Fiction, and though it includes some elements of some classic Chelm stories and other Jewish folktales, I suspect that most of the tales in this volume are original works of fiction by the author. I liked some of them better than others.

[Rena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute collection of Shabbos and Jewish holiday stories from town of Chelm where is everything is sills and the village is known as a Village of Fools.