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Stories for Children
Thirty-six stories by the Nobel Prize winner, including some of his most famous such as "Zlateh the Goat," "Mazel and Shlimazel," and "The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp." Stories for Children is a 1984 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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310 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Bashevis Singer
554 books1,105 followersIsaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish American author of Jewish descent, noted for his short stories. He was one of the leading figures in the Yiddish literary movement, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.
His memoir, "A Day Of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw", won the U.S. National Book Award in Children's Literature in 1970, while his collection "A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories" won the U.S. National Book Award in Fiction in 1974.
His memoir, "A Day Of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw", won the U.S. National Book Award in Children's Literature in 1970, while his collection "A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories" won the U.S. National Book Award in Fiction in 1974.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 2, 2022
I read another collection of short stories by this Nobel prize-winning author which I very much enjoyed. This collection contains similar stories in that most of them are set in Jewish communities and deal with elements of Jewish culture. These stories however, have been selected especially for children. Many, perhaps most, deal with elements of the supernatural.
Isaac Bashevis Singer is a wonderful story teller. I can imagine him with several grandchildren gathered around him, spellbound, as he tells them stories like the ones found in this book.
Isaac Bashevis Singer is a wonderful story teller. I can imagine him with several grandchildren gathered around him, spellbound, as he tells them stories like the ones found in this book.
March 9, 2012
I read about a story a night to my children. My six and eight year old would beg each night for me to read more when I finished and alwaysbefore going to bed asked to be read a story from the book. They are old school Eastern European Jewish/ shtetl stories with classical themes. While the kids didn't get all the details of the stories there are fun antidotes through out that kept them on edge. A simple discussion at the end of each story cleared every thing up and perhaps made them the wiser since the stories were not written towards the lowest common denominator. This book is a real treasure for the right family.
January 26, 2008
A whimsical, satisfying collection of short stories for children and adults alike. Many are set in Poland and Russia, but some are set in the Holy Land. Richly steeped in Jewish culture and mythology, and yet no more exclusively for Jewish children than the Brothers Grimm are exclusively for German children. Favorites are difficult to pick, but the stories I particularly liked included "A Tale of Three Wishes," "Menaseh's Dream," and "Topiel and Tekla."
The fifth door led to a large hall. It was filled with the characters in the stories his parents had told him at bedtime...They were all there: David the warrior and the Ethiopian princess whom David saved from captivity; the highwayman Bandurek, who robbed the rich and fed the poor; Velikan the giant, who had one eye in the center of his forehead and who carried a fir tree as a staff in his right hand and a snake in his left; the midget Pitzeles, whose beard dragged on the ground and who was jester to the fearsome King Merodach; and the two-headed wizard Malkizedek, who by witchcraft spirited innocent girls into the desert of Sodom and Gomorrah...
..."Where am I?" Menaseh asked.
"You are in a castle that has many names. We like to call it the place where nothing is lost."
- from "Menaseh's Dream"
The fifth door led to a large hall. It was filled with the characters in the stories his parents had told him at bedtime...They were all there: David the warrior and the Ethiopian princess whom David saved from captivity; the highwayman Bandurek, who robbed the rich and fed the poor; Velikan the giant, who had one eye in the center of his forehead and who carried a fir tree as a staff in his right hand and a snake in his left; the midget Pitzeles, whose beard dragged on the ground and who was jester to the fearsome King Merodach; and the two-headed wizard Malkizedek, who by witchcraft spirited innocent girls into the desert of Sodom and Gomorrah...
..."Where am I?" Menaseh asked.
"You are in a castle that has many names. We like to call it the place where nothing is lost."
- from "Menaseh's Dream"
September 1, 2023
ENGLISH: Apart from the eight stories about Hanukkah included in The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah, which I have reviewed in that book's file card, this edition contains 28 additional stories for children written by this Nobel Prize of Literature. These are those I've liked best:
A Hanukkah in Warsaw, about two children who plan to elope together. The day I got lost, which reminds me of professor Norbert Wiener. When Shlemiel went to Warsaw, about a man who travels to Warsaw, but ends up in his own town, and refuses to believe it. Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the miser where Shrewd Todie tricks Lyzer the miser out of his eight silver candlesticks.
In Shlemiel the businessman Singer makes a mistake. At first, it says that five gulden are a third of Schlemiel's wife dowry; then it says that 200 gulden is the remainder of the dowry. So the total dowry was 205 gulden, and 5=205/3!
The book ends in an epilogue about literature for children that contains pearls such as this: In our epoch... storytelling has become a forgotten art and has been replaced by amateurish sociology and hackneyed psychology... Long after literature for adults has gone to pieces, books for children will constitute the last vestige of storytelling, logic, faith in the family, in God, and in real humanism.
ESPAÑOL: Aparte de los ocho cuentos sobre Hanukkah incluidos en The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah, que he reseñado en la ficha de ese libro, esta edición contiene 28 cuentos adicionales para niños, escritos por este Premio Nobel de Literatura. Estas son las que más me han gustado:
Una Hanukkah en Varsovia, sobre dos niños que planean fugarse juntos. El día que me perdí, que me recuerda una anécdota de Norbert Wiener. Cuando Shlemiel fue a Varsovia, sobre un hombre que viaja a Varsovia, pero termina en su propia ciudad y se niega a creerlo. El astuto Todie y el avaro Lyzer en el que el Todie escamotea a Lyzer el avaro sus ocho candelabros de plata.
En Shlemiel, el hombre de negocios Singer comete un error. Al principio dice que cinco florines son un tercio de la dote de la esposa de Schlemiel; luego dice que 200 florines es el resto de la dote. ¡Así que la dote total valía 205 florines y 5=205/3!
El libro termina con un epílogo sobre literatura infantil que contiene perlas como esta: En nuestra época... contar historias se ha convertido en un arte olvidado y ha sido reemplazado por una sociología de aficionados y una psicología trillada... Mucho después de que la literatura para adultos se haya desmoronado, los libros para niños constituirán el último vestigio de la narración, la lógica, la fe en la familia, en Dios y en el verdadero humanismo.
A Hanukkah in Warsaw, about two children who plan to elope together. The day I got lost, which reminds me of professor Norbert Wiener. When Shlemiel went to Warsaw, about a man who travels to Warsaw, but ends up in his own town, and refuses to believe it. Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the miser where Shrewd Todie tricks Lyzer the miser out of his eight silver candlesticks.
In Shlemiel the businessman Singer makes a mistake. At first, it says that five gulden are a third of Schlemiel's wife dowry; then it says that 200 gulden is the remainder of the dowry. So the total dowry was 205 gulden, and 5=205/3!
The book ends in an epilogue about literature for children that contains pearls such as this: In our epoch... storytelling has become a forgotten art and has been replaced by amateurish sociology and hackneyed psychology... Long after literature for adults has gone to pieces, books for children will constitute the last vestige of storytelling, logic, faith in the family, in God, and in real humanism.
ESPAÑOL: Aparte de los ocho cuentos sobre Hanukkah incluidos en The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah, que he reseñado en la ficha de ese libro, esta edición contiene 28 cuentos adicionales para niños, escritos por este Premio Nobel de Literatura. Estas son las que más me han gustado:
Una Hanukkah en Varsovia, sobre dos niños que planean fugarse juntos. El día que me perdí, que me recuerda una anécdota de Norbert Wiener. Cuando Shlemiel fue a Varsovia, sobre un hombre que viaja a Varsovia, pero termina en su propia ciudad y se niega a creerlo. El astuto Todie y el avaro Lyzer en el que el Todie escamotea a Lyzer el avaro sus ocho candelabros de plata.
En Shlemiel, el hombre de negocios Singer comete un error. Al principio dice que cinco florines son un tercio de la dote de la esposa de Schlemiel; luego dice que 200 florines es el resto de la dote. ¡Así que la dote total valía 205 florines y 5=205/3!
El libro termina con un epílogo sobre literatura infantil que contiene perlas como esta: En nuestra época... contar historias se ha convertido en un arte olvidado y ha sido reemplazado por una sociología de aficionados y una psicología trillada... Mucho después de que la literatura para adultos se haya desmoronado, los libros para niños constituirán el último vestigio de la narración, la lógica, la fe en la familia, en Dios y en el verdadero humanismo.
November 11, 2021
I've read this masterpiece twice now, and it only gets better. The children at my school love these stories and request them over and over.
February 21, 2025
To jest jedna z najpiękniejszych książek, jakie czytałam w moim życiu. "Opowiadania" zostały przez autora stworzone dla dzieci, ale ich prostota, głębia i piękno są uniwersalne.
Dostałam tę książkę jeszcze jako dziecko - chyba od mamy. Najpierw to ona czytała mi i mojej siostrze te opowiadania, a później zaczęłam wracać do nich z własnej inicjatywy.
Są one głęboko zakorzenione w tradycji żydowskiej Polski początku XX wieku. Przedstawiają bardzo szczególny świat, ale jego esencja ma charakter uniwersalny.
Uwielbiam wracać do "Opowiadań" w chwilach smutku, niepewności czy choroby i móc zanurzyć się w świecie tych pięknych, kojących historii, które przywracają nadzieję i pomagają znajdować radość i sens w wydarzeniach dnia codziennego.
Zapraszają do krainy realizmu magicznego, który otwarty jest dla każdego - dziecka i dorosłego.
Dostałam tę książkę jeszcze jako dziecko - chyba od mamy. Najpierw to ona czytała mi i mojej siostrze te opowiadania, a później zaczęłam wracać do nich z własnej inicjatywy.
Są one głęboko zakorzenione w tradycji żydowskiej Polski początku XX wieku. Przedstawiają bardzo szczególny świat, ale jego esencja ma charakter uniwersalny.
Uwielbiam wracać do "Opowiadań" w chwilach smutku, niepewności czy choroby i móc zanurzyć się w świecie tych pięknych, kojących historii, które przywracają nadzieję i pomagają znajdować radość i sens w wydarzeniach dnia codziennego.
Zapraszają do krainy realizmu magicznego, który otwarty jest dla każdego - dziecka i dorosłego.
April 17, 2025
Una conferma. Altrimenti detto: Singer non ti delude mai.
September 3, 2020
Ole and Trufa (The Story Of Two Leaves)
By Isaac Bashevis Singer
[Translated by Joseph Singer; Novelist, story-teller and master of the modern allegory,
Isaac Bashevis Singer won the Nobel prize in Literature in 1978.]
The FOREST was large and thickly overgrown with all kinds of leaf-bearing trees.
Usually, it is cold at this time of the year and it even snows, but this November was
relatively warm. You might have thought it was summer except that the whole forest was
strewn with fallen leaves – some yellow as saffron, some red as wine, some the color of
gold and some mixed color.
The leaves had been torn down by the rain, by the wind, some by day, some at
night, and they now formed a deep carpet over the forest floor. Although their juices had
run dry, the leaves still exuded a pleasant aroma. The sun shone down on them through
the living branches, and worms and flies which had somehow survived the autumn storms
crawled over them. The space beneath the leaves provided hiding places for crickets,
field mice and many other creatures who sought protection in the earth.
On the tip of a tree which had lost all its other leaves, two still remained hanging
from one twig: Ole and Trufa. For some reason unknown to them, Ole and Trufa had
survived all the rains, all the cold nights and winds. Who knows the reason one leaf falls
and another remains? But Ole and Trufa believed the answer lay in the great love they
bore one another.
Ole was slightly bigger than Trufa and a few days older, but Trufa was prettier
and more delicate. One leaf can do little for another when the wind blows, the rain pours,
or the hail begins to fall. Still, Ole encouraged Trufa at every opportunity. During the
worst storms, when the thunder clapped, the lightning flashed and the wind tore off not
only leaves but even whole branches, Ole pleaded with Trufa: “Hang on, Trufa! Hang on
with all your might!”
Finest Power. At times during cold and stormy nights, Trufa would complain:
“My time has come, Ole, but you hang on!”
“What for?” Ole asked. “Without you, my life is senseless. If you fall, I’ll fall
with you.”
“No, Ole don’t do it! So long as a leaf can stay up it mustn’t let go.”
“It all depends if you stay with me,” Ole replied. “By day I look at you and
admire your beauty. At night I sense your fragrance. Be the only leaf on a tree? No,
never!”
“Ole, your words are so sweet but they’re not true,” Trufa said. “You know very
well that I’m no longer pretty. Look how wrinkled I am, how shrivelled I’ve become!
Only one thing is still left me – my love for you.”
“Isn’t that enough? Of all our powers love is the highest, the finest,” Ole said. “So
long as we love each other we remain here, and no wind, rain or storm can destroy us. I’ll
tell you something, Trufa – I never loved you as much as I love you now.”
“Why, Ole? Why? I’am all yellow.”
“Who says green is pretty and yellow is not? All colors are equally handsome.
And just as Ole spoke these words, that which Trufa had featured all these months
happened – a wind came up and tore Ole loose from the twig. Trufa began to tremble and
flutter until it seemed that she, too, would soon be torn away, but she held fast. She saw
Ole fall and sway in the air, and she called to him in leafy language: “Ole! Come back
Ole! Ole!”
But before she could even finish, Ole vanished from sight. He blended in with the
other leaves on the ground, and Trufa was left all alone on the tree.
So long as it was still day, Trufa managed somehow to endure her grief. But when it grew
dark and cold and a piercing rain began to fall, she sank into despair. Somehow she felt
that the blame for all the leafy misfortunes lay with the tree, the trunk with all its mighty
limbs.
Leaves fell, but the trunk stood tall, thick and firmly rooted in the ground. No
wind, rain or hail could upset it. What did it matter to a tree, which probably lived
forever, what became of a leaf? To Trufa, the trunk was a kind of God. It covered itself
with leaves for a few months, then it shook them off. It nourished them with its sap for as
long as it pleased, then it let them die of thirst. Trufa pleaded with the other tree to give
her back her Ole, to make summer again, but the tree did not heed her prayers.
Trufa didn’t think a night could be so long as this one – so dark, so frosty. She
spoke to Ole and hoped for an answer, but Ole was silent and gave no sign of his
presence.
Trufa said to the tree: “Since you’ve taken Ole from me, take me too.”
But even this prayer the tree didn’t acknowledge.
After a while, Trufa dozed off. This wasn’t sleep but a strange languor.
Trufa awoke and to her amazement found that she was no longer hanging on the
tree. The wind had blown her down while she was asleep. This was different from the
way she used to feel when she awoke on the tree with the sunrise.
All her fears and anxieties had now vanished. The awakening also brought with it
an awareness she had never felt before. She knew now that she wasn’t just a leaf that
depended on every whim of the wind, but that she was part of the universe. Through
some mysterious force, Trufa understood the miracle of her molecules, atoms, protons
and electrons – the enormous energy she represented and the divine plan of which she
was a part.
Next to her lay Ole, and they greeted each other with a love they hadn’t been
aware of before. This wasn’t a love depended on chance or caprice, but a love as mighty
an eternal as the universe itself. That which they had feared all the days and nights
between April and November turned out to be not death but redemption. A breeze came
and lifted Ole and Trufa in the air and they soared with the bliss known only by those
who have freed themselves and have joined with eternity.
[End] is
By Isaac Bashevis Singer
[Translated by Joseph Singer; Novelist, story-teller and master of the modern allegory,
Isaac Bashevis Singer won the Nobel prize in Literature in 1978.]
The FOREST was large and thickly overgrown with all kinds of leaf-bearing trees.
Usually, it is cold at this time of the year and it even snows, but this November was
relatively warm. You might have thought it was summer except that the whole forest was
strewn with fallen leaves – some yellow as saffron, some red as wine, some the color of
gold and some mixed color.
The leaves had been torn down by the rain, by the wind, some by day, some at
night, and they now formed a deep carpet over the forest floor. Although their juices had
run dry, the leaves still exuded a pleasant aroma. The sun shone down on them through
the living branches, and worms and flies which had somehow survived the autumn storms
crawled over them. The space beneath the leaves provided hiding places for crickets,
field mice and many other creatures who sought protection in the earth.
On the tip of a tree which had lost all its other leaves, two still remained hanging
from one twig: Ole and Trufa. For some reason unknown to them, Ole and Trufa had
survived all the rains, all the cold nights and winds. Who knows the reason one leaf falls
and another remains? But Ole and Trufa believed the answer lay in the great love they
bore one another.
Ole was slightly bigger than Trufa and a few days older, but Trufa was prettier
and more delicate. One leaf can do little for another when the wind blows, the rain pours,
or the hail begins to fall. Still, Ole encouraged Trufa at every opportunity. During the
worst storms, when the thunder clapped, the lightning flashed and the wind tore off not
only leaves but even whole branches, Ole pleaded with Trufa: “Hang on, Trufa! Hang on
with all your might!”
Finest Power. At times during cold and stormy nights, Trufa would complain:
“My time has come, Ole, but you hang on!”
“What for?” Ole asked. “Without you, my life is senseless. If you fall, I’ll fall
with you.”
“No, Ole don’t do it! So long as a leaf can stay up it mustn’t let go.”
“It all depends if you stay with me,” Ole replied. “By day I look at you and
admire your beauty. At night I sense your fragrance. Be the only leaf on a tree? No,
never!”
“Ole, your words are so sweet but they’re not true,” Trufa said. “You know very
well that I’m no longer pretty. Look how wrinkled I am, how shrivelled I’ve become!
Only one thing is still left me – my love for you.”
“Isn’t that enough? Of all our powers love is the highest, the finest,” Ole said. “So
long as we love each other we remain here, and no wind, rain or storm can destroy us. I’ll
tell you something, Trufa – I never loved you as much as I love you now.”
“Why, Ole? Why? I’am all yellow.”
“Who says green is pretty and yellow is not? All colors are equally handsome.
And just as Ole spoke these words, that which Trufa had featured all these months
happened – a wind came up and tore Ole loose from the twig. Trufa began to tremble and
flutter until it seemed that she, too, would soon be torn away, but she held fast. She saw
Ole fall and sway in the air, and she called to him in leafy language: “Ole! Come back
Ole! Ole!”
But before she could even finish, Ole vanished from sight. He blended in with the
other leaves on the ground, and Trufa was left all alone on the tree.
So long as it was still day, Trufa managed somehow to endure her grief. But when it grew
dark and cold and a piercing rain began to fall, she sank into despair. Somehow she felt
that the blame for all the leafy misfortunes lay with the tree, the trunk with all its mighty
limbs.
Leaves fell, but the trunk stood tall, thick and firmly rooted in the ground. No
wind, rain or hail could upset it. What did it matter to a tree, which probably lived
forever, what became of a leaf? To Trufa, the trunk was a kind of God. It covered itself
with leaves for a few months, then it shook them off. It nourished them with its sap for as
long as it pleased, then it let them die of thirst. Trufa pleaded with the other tree to give
her back her Ole, to make summer again, but the tree did not heed her prayers.
Trufa didn’t think a night could be so long as this one – so dark, so frosty. She
spoke to Ole and hoped for an answer, but Ole was silent and gave no sign of his
presence.
Trufa said to the tree: “Since you’ve taken Ole from me, take me too.”
But even this prayer the tree didn’t acknowledge.
After a while, Trufa dozed off. This wasn’t sleep but a strange languor.
Trufa awoke and to her amazement found that she was no longer hanging on the
tree. The wind had blown her down while she was asleep. This was different from the
way she used to feel when she awoke on the tree with the sunrise.
All her fears and anxieties had now vanished. The awakening also brought with it
an awareness she had never felt before. She knew now that she wasn’t just a leaf that
depended on every whim of the wind, but that she was part of the universe. Through
some mysterious force, Trufa understood the miracle of her molecules, atoms, protons
and electrons – the enormous energy she represented and the divine plan of which she
was a part.
Next to her lay Ole, and they greeted each other with a love they hadn’t been
aware of before. This wasn’t a love depended on chance or caprice, but a love as mighty
an eternal as the universe itself. That which they had feared all the days and nights
between April and November turned out to be not death but redemption. A breeze came
and lifted Ole and Trufa in the air and they soared with the bliss known only by those
who have freed themselves and have joined with eternity.
[End] is
September 20, 2008
A book of Jewish folktales for children is not normally a genre that I would be interested in, but this is a great collection of stories. Some have subtle moral lessons, some are sweet and touching, and some are laugh out loud funny. Some stories were more dark, though, and this is definitely a collection for older children since there are no pictures. I read my favorite one, "The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp" to my husband and we were just rolling. I would have enjoyed these as a kid, and I'm sure I'll be sharing these stories with them.
November 11, 2019
A wonderful collection with several five star stories.
I bought this as a gift for my nephew's 7th birthday, so beforehand I read a copy from the library to see how many of the stories would be age-appropriate. (He's a "young" turning-seven year old.) Nearly all of them were (see list below).
Some of these stories I remembered from my own childhood, and others were new to me. I was surprised how many had a Chanukkah setting--it didn't used to be a very important holiday in the Jewish calendar until the influence of Christmas in the U.S. spurred making Channukkah a bigger deal. Maybe it always used to be a big deal to children, though?
Unlike most short story collections, in which I only read one or two before taking a break because they are jumping between characters and settings and it's overwhelming to rapidly start over mentally, mainly these stories take place in an Eastern European pre-WWII shtetl context, and I could read as many as I wanted at a time. Only a handful of the stories repeat characters, but because the general world in which the stories took place stayed relatively the same, I could read a handful of stories in a row happily. They are mostly only about three pages each, so they'll be perfect for bedtime stories.
A couple of my favorites were "Zlateh the Goat" and "Menashe & Rachel" (which my Mom always read to us from the Singer collection of Hanukah stories "The Power of Light) but there are really a ton of wonderful stories in here that I know my nephews will find hilarious such as the ones with the Wise Men of Chelm (the Jewish equivalent of the Keystone Cops).
Here's my list of what is age appropriate for a childish/not-mature for his age kid turning 7:
1) Elders of Chelm: Yes
2) A Tale of Three Wishes: Not yet
3) The Extinguished Lights: No
4) Mazel & Shlimazel: Yes
5) Why Noah chose the dove: Yes
6) Zlateh the Goat: Yes, definitely
7) A Hanukkah Eve in Warsaw: Yes, this is the first long one with sections
8) The Fools of Chelm: Yes
9) The Wicked City: no, and not even a good story
10) Rabbi Leib: Yes, except edit out the "fat midget" on page 94
11) The Parakeet Named Dreidel: Yes
12) Lemel & Tzipa: Maybe, I'm uncomfortable with making fun of dumb people who can't read
13) The Day I got lost: Yes
14) Menashe & Rachel: Yes, definitely
15) Shlemiel the Businessman: Yes
16) Joseph & Koza: Yes
17) A Hanukkah Evening in my Parents' House: Yes
18) Tsirtsur & Peziza: Yes
19) Naftali the Storyteller: Yes
20) Hershele & Hanukkah: Yes
21) When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw: Yes
22) Elijah the Slave: yes, but odd story
23) The Power of Light: when kids have learned about the Holocaust in school (5th grade?) then they can hear this story, but I wouldn't personally beforehand
24) Growing Up: No
25) The Lantuch: Yes
26) Utzel & His Daughter, Poverty: maybe
27) The Squire: Yes
28) Ole & Trufa: Yes
29) Dalfunka, Where the Rich Live Forever: Yes
30) Topiel & Tekla: No
31) Hanukkah in the Poorhouse: this one is sad, maybe wait?
32) Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the Miser: Yes
33) The Fearsome Inn: yes, but could also wait--an interesting Jewish twist on Eastern European fairy tale, including a she-devil named Lilith
34) The Cat who thought she was a dog: Yes
35) Menaseh's Dream: Yes
36) Tashlik: I'm guessing age 12 and up
37) essay on literature: no
I bought this as a gift for my nephew's 7th birthday, so beforehand I read a copy from the library to see how many of the stories would be age-appropriate. (He's a "young" turning-seven year old.) Nearly all of them were (see list below).
Some of these stories I remembered from my own childhood, and others were new to me. I was surprised how many had a Chanukkah setting--it didn't used to be a very important holiday in the Jewish calendar until the influence of Christmas in the U.S. spurred making Channukkah a bigger deal. Maybe it always used to be a big deal to children, though?
Unlike most short story collections, in which I only read one or two before taking a break because they are jumping between characters and settings and it's overwhelming to rapidly start over mentally, mainly these stories take place in an Eastern European pre-WWII shtetl context, and I could read as many as I wanted at a time. Only a handful of the stories repeat characters, but because the general world in which the stories took place stayed relatively the same, I could read a handful of stories in a row happily. They are mostly only about three pages each, so they'll be perfect for bedtime stories.
A couple of my favorites were "Zlateh the Goat" and "Menashe & Rachel" (which my Mom always read to us from the Singer collection of Hanukah stories "The Power of Light) but there are really a ton of wonderful stories in here that I know my nephews will find hilarious such as the ones with the Wise Men of Chelm (the Jewish equivalent of the Keystone Cops).
Here's my list of what is age appropriate for a childish/not-mature for his age kid turning 7:
1) Elders of Chelm: Yes
2) A Tale of Three Wishes: Not yet
3) The Extinguished Lights: No
4) Mazel & Shlimazel: Yes
5) Why Noah chose the dove: Yes
6) Zlateh the Goat: Yes, definitely
7) A Hanukkah Eve in Warsaw: Yes, this is the first long one with sections
8) The Fools of Chelm: Yes
9) The Wicked City: no, and not even a good story
10) Rabbi Leib: Yes, except edit out the "fat midget" on page 94
11) The Parakeet Named Dreidel: Yes
12) Lemel & Tzipa: Maybe, I'm uncomfortable with making fun of dumb people who can't read
13) The Day I got lost: Yes
14) Menashe & Rachel: Yes, definitely
15) Shlemiel the Businessman: Yes
16) Joseph & Koza: Yes
17) A Hanukkah Evening in my Parents' House: Yes
18) Tsirtsur & Peziza: Yes
19) Naftali the Storyteller: Yes
20) Hershele & Hanukkah: Yes
21) When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw: Yes
22) Elijah the Slave: yes, but odd story
23) The Power of Light: when kids have learned about the Holocaust in school (5th grade?) then they can hear this story, but I wouldn't personally beforehand
24) Growing Up: No
25) The Lantuch: Yes
26) Utzel & His Daughter, Poverty: maybe
27) The Squire: Yes
28) Ole & Trufa: Yes
29) Dalfunka, Where the Rich Live Forever: Yes
30) Topiel & Tekla: No
31) Hanukkah in the Poorhouse: this one is sad, maybe wait?
32) Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the Miser: Yes
33) The Fearsome Inn: yes, but could also wait--an interesting Jewish twist on Eastern European fairy tale, including a she-devil named Lilith
34) The Cat who thought she was a dog: Yes
35) Menaseh's Dream: Yes
36) Tashlik: I'm guessing age 12 and up
37) essay on literature: no
August 25, 2024
by
Isaac Bashevis SingerDate: 25. 8. 2024.
Rating: A
Genre: Classic Children's Literature, Short Stories, Jewish Stories, Literature in Yiddish
Review: This is my first read by Isaac Bashevis Singer, although I have heard of him before. It is a collection of short stories for children previously published separately in his other books/collections.
The stories lie heavily on Jewish and Slavic folklore, as well as on Jewish biblical stories. The majority of them are set in Poland, with some being set in Russia, Ukraine, and even in the USA, I think (it's not always clear).
It's a collection of stories, so I cannot really write a summary of them, but I absolutely loved them. They were just my cup of tea; full of myths, legends, local folklore and biblical stories. Some are funny, and some are very serious, but each has a lesson to teach. Another thing that I like is that Hanukkah is present in many stories, which gave me an opportunity to learn a bit about Jewish traditions and beliefs. All in all, a great read, and a book I would like to have in my home library one day.
September 9, 2023
The construction of these stories is simple enough for children but the only children I can imagine reading this to are newborns who just enjoy the sound of a voice. Many of the stories involve evil spirits that would likely scare youngsters. In most of the stories, I had to look up at least a couple of words (not common for me -I’m a word person and was around Yiddish speakers growing up).
There were some enjoyable moments in the stories about the “wise men” (fools, actually) of Chelm and their comical ways of resolving problems. But many of the stories only involved boy meets girl and lives happily ever after. I’m glad to have read this as an artifact of another time, but there are so many books for children that won’t bore/scare/confuse them as much as this one.
There were some enjoyable moments in the stories about the “wise men” (fools, actually) of Chelm and their comical ways of resolving problems. But many of the stories only involved boy meets girl and lives happily ever after. I’m glad to have read this as an artifact of another time, but there are so many books for children that won’t bore/scare/confuse them as much as this one.
November 22, 2024
از این مجموعه داستان یوتزل و دخترش فقر رو خوندم
و خیلی جالب و باحال و بامزه بود
بخصوص اولش که میگه:
روزی مردی بود به نام یوتزل. او فقیر بود و حتی بیشتر از فقیر بودنش، تنبل. هر وقت کسی می خواست به او کاری برای انجام دادن پیشنهاد بدهد، جوابش همیشه یکی بود: امروز نه.
معمولا از او می پرسیدند: چرا امروز نه؟
و او هم همیشه جواب می داد: چرا فردا نه؟
:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
و خیلی جالب و باحال و بامزه بود
بخصوص اولش که میگه:
روزی مردی بود به نام یوتزل. او فقیر بود و حتی بیشتر از فقیر بودنش، تنبل. هر وقت کسی می خواست به او کاری برای انجام دادن پیشنهاد بدهد، جوابش همیشه یکی بود: امروز نه.
معمولا از او می پرسیدند: چرا امروز نه؟
و او هم همیشه جواب می داد: چرا فردا نه؟
:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
November 23, 2017
Good for an intermediate reader or pre-teen
October 16, 2018
You need to read this, what a classic.
April 26, 2023
O livro que eu li é outro... Coloquei esse aqui só para ilustrar
March 4, 2024
Very comforting and wholesome it made me yearn for a lost world and simpler times.
June 6, 2011
I especially liked
Mazel and Shlimazel (Good Luck and Bad Luck try to prove who is stronger, reminded me of the story of Job)
Why Noah Chose the Dove
Zlateh the Goat
Ole and Trufa: 2 leaves wait to fall off the tree. reminded me of "The Fall of Freddy the Leaf"
The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp (obnoxious fish punished by drowning!)
A Tale of Three Wishes (3 children wish for beauty, wisdom and learned in religion but find they must work hard for their wishes to come true)
Whe Shlemiel Went to Warsaw (tricked into thinking that there is another Chelm in between Chelm and Warsaw)
Elijah the Slave
Dalfunka, Where the rick LIve forever (no rich people die in poor Dalfunka (b/c no rich live there to begin with) therefore the rich can live there forever)
Shrewd Todie and Lyzer the Miser (Todie convinces Lyzer to lend him his good silver spoon. Todie returns it along with another spoon saying Lyzer's spoon gave birth. Greedy Lyzer agrees to lend him all eight of his silver candlsticks, Todie sells them and tells Lyzer he can't return his candlesticks b/c they died)
quotes
p207 "Even while waiting for a miracle, it's god to do something. Man must begin and God will help him."
p333 "Long after literature for adults has gone to pieces, books for children will constitute the last vestige of storytelling, logic faithin in the family, in God and in real humanishm."
Mazel and Shlimazel (Good Luck and Bad Luck try to prove who is stronger, reminded me of the story of Job)
Why Noah Chose the Dove
Zlateh the Goat
Ole and Trufa: 2 leaves wait to fall off the tree. reminded me of "The Fall of Freddy the Leaf"
The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp (obnoxious fish punished by drowning!)
A Tale of Three Wishes (3 children wish for beauty, wisdom and learned in religion but find they must work hard for their wishes to come true)
Whe Shlemiel Went to Warsaw (tricked into thinking that there is another Chelm in between Chelm and Warsaw)
Elijah the Slave
Dalfunka, Where the rick LIve forever (no rich people die in poor Dalfunka (b/c no rich live there to begin with) therefore the rich can live there forever)
Shrewd Todie and Lyzer the Miser (Todie convinces Lyzer to lend him his good silver spoon. Todie returns it along with another spoon saying Lyzer's spoon gave birth. Greedy Lyzer agrees to lend him all eight of his silver candlsticks, Todie sells them and tells Lyzer he can't return his candlesticks b/c they died)
quotes
p207 "Even while waiting for a miracle, it's god to do something. Man must begin and God will help him."
p333 "Long after literature for adults has gone to pieces, books for children will constitute the last vestige of storytelling, logic faithin in the family, in God and in real humanishm."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2014
Stories for Children - And Grown-ups Who Have a Children's Curiosity for a Good Story
Having read Isaac Bashevis Singer's stories for adult readers, along with his charming autobiographical writings, the title "Stories for Children" on a book of this beloved author certainly caught my attention. After all, I believe that much children's fiction is more interesting than that for adults. With this anthology, the reader who appreciates "children's literature" will get the best of both: the masterful writing of I.B. Singer with even more of the mystery for which he is so famous. The stories take place both in the old-world shtetls and modern-day New York City, though time in either case appears suspended even though the stories of the former category take place much further back in time. Many of the stories, among them "Why Noah Chose the Goat," "Rabbi Leib & the Witch Cunegunde," "Hanukkah in the Poorhouse," and "Dalfunka, Where the Rich Live Forever," show the Hasidic morality and mystery of Singer's childhood, which he infuses in these and other stories, both in this volume and anthologies of stories for adults. Then there are stories that rank among the finest that Yiddish (Jewish) folklore has to offer, such as "A Tale of Three Wishes," "Zlateh the Goat," and "Elijah the Slave." Singer's humor is often there, as well, especially in such stories as Mazel & Schiimazel," "The Fools of Chelm & the Stupid Carp," "Schlemiel the Businessman," "And When Schlemiel Went to Warsaw." With this anthology, one experiences all elements that make up the magic of the stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer."
Having read Isaac Bashevis Singer's stories for adult readers, along with his charming autobiographical writings, the title "Stories for Children" on a book of this beloved author certainly caught my attention. After all, I believe that much children's fiction is more interesting than that for adults. With this anthology, the reader who appreciates "children's literature" will get the best of both: the masterful writing of I.B. Singer with even more of the mystery for which he is so famous. The stories take place both in the old-world shtetls and modern-day New York City, though time in either case appears suspended even though the stories of the former category take place much further back in time. Many of the stories, among them "Why Noah Chose the Goat," "Rabbi Leib & the Witch Cunegunde," "Hanukkah in the Poorhouse," and "Dalfunka, Where the Rich Live Forever," show the Hasidic morality and mystery of Singer's childhood, which he infuses in these and other stories, both in this volume and anthologies of stories for adults. Then there are stories that rank among the finest that Yiddish (Jewish) folklore has to offer, such as "A Tale of Three Wishes," "Zlateh the Goat," and "Elijah the Slave." Singer's humor is often there, as well, especially in such stories as Mazel & Schiimazel," "The Fools of Chelm & the Stupid Carp," "Schlemiel the Businessman," "And When Schlemiel Went to Warsaw." With this anthology, one experiences all elements that make up the magic of the stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer."
May 17, 2015
1968 Newbery Honor Book (for The Fearsome Inn)
I picked up this book from the library to try to read the Newbery Honor books by Singer. However, most of the stories in When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw and other Stories and Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories besides the title stories are not contained in this volume. The Fearsome Inn is part of this anthology so I can count that particular story as being "read."
In "The Fearsome Inn," three young men end up at a cursed inn run by a witch and her half-devil husband. The witch is about to ensnare the young men when one of them decides to try to outsmart them. I thought it was an interesting story with a good ending. It reminded me of Stardust (although this came first).
I also read "Zlateh the Goat," in which a young man taking his goat off to be sold gets caught in a snow storm. My favorite has to be "When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw" where Shlemiel, a lazy man, sets off for Warsaw, only to take a mid-afternoon nap. During his nap, the blacksmith, changes the direction his shoes are pointing, causing him to come back the way he came. He is convinced that he is now in "Chelm 2" and not "Chelm 1" where he started. Apparently, Chelm is a city populated with fools.
I liked the few stories I read enough to want to sneak a peek at the others and I am curious to read the other stories in the two other Newbery collections. I am glad that Newbery chose to add some ethnic folktales to their list. It is always interesting to read folk stories from other cultures.
I picked up this book from the library to try to read the Newbery Honor books by Singer. However, most of the stories in When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw and other Stories and Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories besides the title stories are not contained in this volume. The Fearsome Inn is part of this anthology so I can count that particular story as being "read."
In "The Fearsome Inn," three young men end up at a cursed inn run by a witch and her half-devil husband. The witch is about to ensnare the young men when one of them decides to try to outsmart them. I thought it was an interesting story with a good ending. It reminded me of Stardust (although this came first).
I also read "Zlateh the Goat," in which a young man taking his goat off to be sold gets caught in a snow storm. My favorite has to be "When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw" where Shlemiel, a lazy man, sets off for Warsaw, only to take a mid-afternoon nap. During his nap, the blacksmith, changes the direction his shoes are pointing, causing him to come back the way he came. He is convinced that he is now in "Chelm 2" and not "Chelm 1" where he started. Apparently, Chelm is a city populated with fools.
I liked the few stories I read enough to want to sneak a peek at the others and I am curious to read the other stories in the two other Newbery collections. I am glad that Newbery chose to add some ethnic folktales to their list. It is always interesting to read folk stories from other cultures.
September 13, 2012
This is a fantastic set of stories for children, by one of Israel's finest writers of books for children, Isaac Bashevis Singer. The characters are unusual, the stories are varied and they are mixed with humor, fun and new things to learn.
Because all the stories take place in foreign places with what to children are funny sounding names (and the same can be said of all the characters too!) my kids were skeptical at first that the stories would interest them. But with patient explaining and answering lots of questions, they quickly got absorbed into the stories and couldn't wait for more. Also, several of the characters appear in more than one story, which is also good for kids because it reminds them of the prior stories and they like making the connections across the different stories and comparing the experiences the characters have from one to the next.
Many of the stories involve characters who think they are very intelligent and wise, but they really are not. Others involve miracles or something mysterious. But they all have one thing in common -- they open up a world of wonder for children and bring smiles to their faces.
Highly recommended for parents to read out loud to their kids, from age 6 and up.
Because all the stories take place in foreign places with what to children are funny sounding names (and the same can be said of all the characters too!) my kids were skeptical at first that the stories would interest them. But with patient explaining and answering lots of questions, they quickly got absorbed into the stories and couldn't wait for more. Also, several of the characters appear in more than one story, which is also good for kids because it reminds them of the prior stories and they like making the connections across the different stories and comparing the experiences the characters have from one to the next.
Many of the stories involve characters who think they are very intelligent and wise, but they really are not. Others involve miracles or something mysterious. But they all have one thing in common -- they open up a world of wonder for children and bring smiles to their faces.
Highly recommended for parents to read out loud to their kids, from age 6 and up.
September 28, 2008
These classic folktales from Isaac Bashevis Singer are often hilarious stories in the tradition of the "wise men" of Chelm, as well as more modern stories My favorites are Shlemiel and Shlmazel and A Parakeet named Dreidel. The former is a male cinderella tale that features the eponymous spirits who represent good and bad luck. A series of fortunate and unfortunate events are experienced by the male protagonist, Tam, as he unexpectedly wins the king's good favor and falls in love with the princess. But who will prevail? There are fascinating twists and turns in the plot that make this tale great material for inference as well as DRTA's. The events in a Parakeet named Dreidl renew one's faith in "beshert," or knowing that one's true love is out there, and that fate is the most effective matchmaker.
February 14, 2013
We were given this book as a gift and I had never heard of it.
I had a peek and decided to use it in our homeschool- what a treat it turned out to be!
This is such a beautiful, interesting, and endlessly entertaining collection of short stories for children. We read it as a literature supplement and a read-aloud and the entire family enjoyed them tremendously.
These tales are strongly moral, left us with interesting discussion points, and Singer is an amazing storyteller.
Many of the stories included made us giggle out loud, and best of all they were clear and understandable by even the youngest ones in our house.
Although they will be of special interest to Jewish children, they can be enjoyed by anyone.
Highly recommended!
I had a peek and decided to use it in our homeschool- what a treat it turned out to be!
This is such a beautiful, interesting, and endlessly entertaining collection of short stories for children. We read it as a literature supplement and a read-aloud and the entire family enjoyed them tremendously.
These tales are strongly moral, left us with interesting discussion points, and Singer is an amazing storyteller.
Many of the stories included made us giggle out loud, and best of all they were clear and understandable by even the youngest ones in our house.
Although they will be of special interest to Jewish children, they can be enjoyed by anyone.
Highly recommended!
February 6, 2016
I read this book because I'm looking for stories to tell at Toastmasters, and I found a couple of possibilities. But, my problem with the book is that most of the characters had Hebrew or Yiddish (I think) names, and that I was missing some aspect of the story because I didn't understand the meaning of the names.
Still, there were some very good stories. Some were funny, and some made me think. And, as a bonus, the book ends with an essay titled Are Children the Ultimate Literary Critics?, which I highly recommend.
Still, there were some very good stories. Some were funny, and some made me think. And, as a bonus, the book ends with an essay titled Are Children the Ultimate Literary Critics?, which I highly recommend.
May 11, 2010
Interesting -- I really like his writing style, and "slavic fairy tale" tone that many of his stories have. Some of the stories seemed a little dark for children -- a story about a young mother who drowns herself and her baby, for instance -- and would take a bit of explaining to be good. But I've found the same thing in other collections of his children's stories. Anyway, the good ones are always good enough that I keep reading them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2014
This was a pretty good read for class. I liked hearing all the familiar Jewish names in the stories, and seeing some of the twists on the tales. I could have done without so much of the very patriarchal ideals that are sometimes inherent in the stricter Jewish culture, but there were plenty of stories without it, so that was good.
January 18, 2015
Wonderful. Some stories I knew and some I didn't. Although it is called 'stories for children', there are several of these I wouldn't really read to a younger child as they are much more suited to teens. Really love his writing, this translation, and the huge variety of contents in this collection. Something for everyone. Recommended.
August 22, 2011
Dit is voor mij absoluut een boek dat niet meer weg gaat. De verhalen zijn erg prettig geschreven en het is nog heel interessant om wat van de Joodse cultuur te leren kennen.
Zoals in veel sprookjesachtige verhalen komen er veel universele thema's in voor.
Zoals in veel sprookjesachtige verhalen komen er veel universele thema's in voor.
September 27, 2015
Thirty-six stories by the Nobel Prize winner, including some of his most famous such as "Zlateh the Goat," "Mazel and Shlimazel," and "The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp."
Stories for Children is a 1984 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year.
Stories for Children is a 1984 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year.
December 2, 2007
You simply must get to know Mazel and Shlimazel, Lyzer the Miser, and the girl named Poverty--they're all delightful company.
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