Let's Steal the Moon: Jewish Tales, Ancient and Recent

by Blanche L. Serwer-Bernstein (Editor), Trina Schart Hyman

Eleven traditional tales from Jewish folklore of the Middle East and Europe.

Included are the dramatic and imaginative stories describing a Rabbi's clever disposal of 80 witches; lessons in humility for King Solomon; the scholar-hero- Hillel's shrewd replies to the impertinent questions; an extraordinary mechanical man created by the great Rabbi of Prague; and the rediculous behavior of the foolish residents of Chelm.

Richly endowing the distinctive wit and traditional humor of the Jewish people and illustrated with the supurb interpretive drawings of noted children's book illustrator Trina Schart Hyman, these stories should delight all lovers of folk tales.

Genres: Childrens, Jewish

86 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Jennifer Heise]

Many of these stories are told elsewhere, including the Chelm ones... but worth looking at for Trina Schart-Hyman's illustrations

[Doria]

A lovely collection of Jewish folktales, accompanied by Trina Schart Hyman’s gorgeous illustrations. The tales are varied and interesting, including some about Chelm (here spelled Chelem) and some concerning King Solomon. There is even an unusual legend about an encounter between a Jewish tailor and Napoleon!

The illustrations by TSH are truly stunning, though, even in simple black and white. The level of detail, historical and narrative and personal, which she manages to pack into each picture is astonishing, and her figures are dynamic and lifelike, as always. I treasure her work in any form I can find it, and consider her one of the most gifted and extraordinary illustrators of her generation.

[Daniel]

With a few exceptions (such as the gollum story), this collection of stories was mostly forgettable and at times awkwardly told.