Joseph and the Sabbath Fish

by Eric A. Kimmel, Martina Peluso

Joseph always welcomes guests to his Sabbath table, while his greedy neighbor Judah scoffs at Joseph’s generosity. Even as his fortunes decline, Joseph’s door remains open. But times change and Judah turns to his Joseph for help. A very special fish helps Joseph save the day.

Genres: Jewish, Childrens, Picture Books, Friendship, Judaism, Folklore

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Eric A. Kimmel is an American author of more than 150 children's books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), Sydney Taylor Book Award winners The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon's Monster, and Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Shoshanna]

OK I love this book. This is actually another telling of an old story which I read of in a picture book I read in my youth, called "Joseph Who Loved the Sabbath," by Marilyn Hirsch! I do like that that telling made clear that Joseph was the servant of the other man in the story, but besides that, the tellings are mostly the same! I think I recommend this one more because the illustrations are cozy and curvy, while the old version had illustrations that I thought were strange and scary as a very young child, though I grew to love them as an adult.

[Cheryl]

Nice fantasy. Message is weakened because it is so implausible. Pictures 'off.' Too bad. Usually I like Kimmel, and I like that he has an esp. apt illustrator for each story, but this just doesn't work for me.

[Launna]

Really great book about money, friends, generosity and what really matters.

[Rebecca Dougherty]

We listened to Eric Kimmel read this on Vimeo. The kids did a nice job discussing the story's lessons.

[Debra]

Eric Kimmel alway provides wisdom in his traditional tales. Illstrations by Martina Peluso are lovely, as well.

[Melissa]

Straightforward and a little didactic, but that fits within this storytelling tradition, and I can't wait to buy a copy for my church's children's library. I do wish Kimmel would have cited his source...is this from the Torah? Midrash? A Yiddish folktale? Did Mr Kimmel make it up?

[Congregation Beth-El Zedeck Library]

Cute book for 2-6 year old children that shows the importance of welcoming others for Shabbat