The Wonder Child: & Other Jewish Fairy Tales

by Howard Schwartz, Barbara Rush, Stephen Fieser (Illustrator)

An illustrated collection of traditional Jewish tales from various countries

Genres: Jewish, Childrens, Fiction, Fairy Tales

66 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Howard Schwartz is Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is a prolific writer who has published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In searching for themes and images for his work in various genres, he has often found his inspiration in biblical, midrashic, and kabbalistic lore. Many of his works retell ancient folktales, reflecting his belief in the importance of passing cultural lore from one generation to the next. His poetry frequently reflects the dreamlike and mysterious elements of Jewish mythology.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely introduction to Jewish fairy tales. The stories are short and vibrant, and I enjoyed the broad varieties of regions they were sourced from. I thought it was interesting to see the ways they were different and similar compared to stories I am more familiar with. The additional notes at the back were interesting and helpful.

My personal favourite story of the bunch was The Black Cat. I definitely recommend this book for those looking to explore a broader variety of fairy tales or looking to explore Jewish culture.

[Tamara Morrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book many times as a child, was one of my favorite bed time stories

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love fairy tales of all kinds, so when I found this book I was delighted for here was a collection of stories I've never heard of from anywhere before. The only one I'd even slightly heard of was the dybbuk, and even that I wasn't very clear on just what that was.

Well written, with just enough detail to all into the story and enjoy it, but not so much to lose young readers. This is a great introduction into Jewish folklore for young people.