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The Magician's Visit: A Passover Tale
A retelling of a classic folktale details the Passover eve arrival of a mysterious magician at the home of a pious and poor couple, and how he magically brings about all the things necessary to celebrate the Seder. Reprint.
32 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 14, 2021
An adaptation on the story of Elijah the Prophet illustrated in quiet hues and delicate characters. As with all PJ Library books, explanations and related crafts are bonus additions.
November 13, 2020
note: the review is not for the edition chosen, it's not yet on GR
A couple is rewarded for their generosity in the nicest possible manner on Passover.
I did not know this tale before I read the book, I merely reached for it because I am in the mood for picture books, the cover is beautiful and I never read a Jewish picture book, which I considered a hole in my reading.
This is very atmospheric. The detailed illustrations look like coloured pencils to me and a very nice colour palette was chosen to accompany the text. You could lose yourself in these pictures.
At the back of the book there is a short explanation of Passover, what Sedar is, and some further terms I mostly didn't know. So this book is another instance of learning while being entertained, which is the best kind of learning because you're most likely to retain some knowledge.
I hope that this will not only bring joy to Jewish readers but also that other people will reach for it, like I did, and learn something, and be it only that there is more on this planet than Christianity.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
A couple is rewarded for their generosity in the nicest possible manner on Passover.
I did not know this tale before I read the book, I merely reached for it because I am in the mood for picture books, the cover is beautiful and I never read a Jewish picture book, which I considered a hole in my reading.
This is very atmospheric. The detailed illustrations look like coloured pencils to me and a very nice colour palette was chosen to accompany the text. You could lose yourself in these pictures.
At the back of the book there is a short explanation of Passover, what Sedar is, and some further terms I mostly didn't know. So this book is another instance of learning while being entertained, which is the best kind of learning because you're most likely to retain some knowledge.
I hope that this will not only bring joy to Jewish readers but also that other people will reach for it, like I did, and learn something, and be it only that there is more on this planet than Christianity.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
May 22, 2022
Fun to read with your children around Pesach / Passover.
November 17, 2016
A poor, pious couple is rewarded with a feast for Passover.
Apparently today is "Mauri grumpily reads picture books". In this one I got caught on the usual "couple gives up last few pennies to because others are penniless" - funny how the story always has the man handing over the money. More important to be seen as charitable that to feed your own family? Plus shades of that desert island guy who prays to god for rescue and ignores the boat sent for him.
Basically, the husband only redeemed himself when he was like, "whelp, we'd better head to the neighbors because sitting here alone in the dark for Passover is a shitty thing to do to my wife."
Illustrations - hand-colored etchings and aquatint, which I recommend heading to wikipedia for a reading on. I'd never heard of aquatint - sounds like a complete PITA and kind of cool. Puzzled that the Magician has no beard in turn of the 20th century Jewish-Eastern-European-ville. (Again! With the vague surroundings!)
Apparently today is "Mauri grumpily reads picture books". In this one I got caught on the usual "couple gives up last few pennies to because others are penniless" - funny how the story always has the man handing over the money. More important to be seen as charitable that to feed your own family? Plus shades of that desert island guy who prays to god for rescue and ignores the boat sent for him.
Basically, the husband only redeemed himself when he was like, "whelp, we'd better head to the neighbors because sitting here alone in the dark for Passover is a shitty thing to do to my wife."
Illustrations - hand-colored etchings and aquatint, which I recommend heading to wikipedia for a reading on. I'd never heard of aquatint - sounds like a complete PITA and kind of cool. Puzzled that the Magician has no beard in turn of the 20th century Jewish-Eastern-European-ville. (Again! With the vague surroundings!)
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July 4, 2016true
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April 4, 2017A jewish couple that is down on their luck is rewarded for their kindness by a wayward magician that comes into town during passover. The magician is not the normal "jokester" but he is a wonder to the townspeople who all come to see him, he can pull yard and yards of ribbons from his mouth and that intrigues the townspeople of this little village. In this town Hayim-Jonah and Rivkah-Bailah lived both poor and down on their luck, even though they are down on their luck they take in the magician one passover night. It turn the magician rewards their kindness.
This book was a pleasure to read! Illustrations were contemporary but also realistic to the reader, I found that the illustrations did not distract from the text. Not only was this children's book that taught the lessons of passover but also taught lessons about kindness and I think we need more book like this nowadays.
This book was a pleasure to read! Illustrations were contemporary but also realistic to the reader, I found that the illustrations did not distract from the text. Not only was this children's book that taught the lessons of passover but also taught lessons about kindness and I think we need more book like this nowadays.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews