Meir Shalev (Hebrew: מאיר שלו) was one of Israel’s most celebrated novelists. He received many awards for his work, including the National Jewish Book Award and Israel’s Brenner Prize, both for A Pigeon and a Boy.
A columnist for the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Shalev lived in Jerusalem and in northern Israel with his wife and children.
A cute story for kids about an old tractor, but the real target audience is the mature adult. I listened to the audiobook version so missed the illustrations, but the descriptive language was plenty sufficient to evoke deep nostalgia for playing on the retired farm equipment on my uncle's kibbutz on my first visit to Israel as a small child. Even more poignant is the question of seeking meaning in life as an elderly tractor (or person), who has been rejected in favour of the new model. Can one still be a productive member of society once no longer competitive in the workplace? Do we surrender to being put out to pasture, seek an alternate form of contribution, or content ourselves with reminiscence of a glorious past. That's a LOT to pack into 7 minutes.
Beautiful pictures in the moving tale of a tractor and its operator who have given many many years of hard work to their agricultural village, but are replaced and retired off from above.