Golem is a Caldecott award-winning book written and illustrated by David Wisniewski and published in 1996. This beautifully illustrated book is based off of an old Jewish folk tale about a rabbi, out of desperation and fear for his people, creates a man out of clay and brings him to life. The man, Golem, protects the Jewish people of Prague from their enemies but after his job is complete he is reluctant to return to clay. After threats from the powers in Prague, the rabbi has no choice but to return Golem to nothing more than clay. The back page contains notes on the origins of the story of Golem as well as the influences it has had on other literature.Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion Books.
Picture Credit: http://kveller.com/activities/Books/classic-books-9.shtml
Impressions: This book caught my attention immediately for several reasons. The title, Golem, alluded to a kind of folklore that I had heard of before but did not have any real knowledge of. In addition, the art struck me as unique and even from the cover I could tell that the art would play an vital role in the story. As I read through the story, I was impressed with amount of detail in the illustrations. Not only are they unique, made of layered paper/cardstock, each one conveys a great deal of emotion and the dark drama that runs through the story. Although many of the pictures are forward facing illustrations, one takes an aerial perspective and the reader seems to be looking down at the scene rather than directly at it. The golem's face, although made out of clay, is one of the most emotional and fear-inspiring illustrations I've ever seen in a children's book and the constant imagery of flames and lightning that surround him have a definite sense of movement and only add to the reader's perspective of the golem. In addition, the story itself is filled with words from the Hebrew language and ripe with Jewish culture--a treat for those unfamiliar with it.
Reviews:
“Wisniewski's large picture-book version is stark and terrifying. His extraordinary cut-paper collages show and tell the shape-shifting and changing perspectives that are the essence of the story. Chanting spells from the holy books of the Cabala, the rabbi creates the giant, whose task is to protect the Jews and catch those planting false evidence of the Blood Lie. When the mob storms the gates of the ghetto, the golem is a huge Frankenstein monster who smashes the people and their weapons. But Wisniewski adds an element of melancholy to the creature (just as Mary Shelley did). This golem can talk, and when his work is done, he begs to be allowed to go on living. The pictures of the desperate giant trying to prevent his hands and face from dissolving are scenes of horror and sorrow. Wisniewski ends with a long, detailed background note about the religious roots and folklore and about the history of Jewish persecution through the ages.” Rochman, H. (1996). No title. [Review of the book Golem by D. Wisniewski] Booklist. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.
The much honored cut-paper master (Sundiata, 1992, etc.) turns his attention to a retelling of the story of the Golem, created by a chief rabbi, Judah Loew, to defend the Jews against the ‘Blood Lie’ (that Jews were mixing the blood of Christian children with the flour and water of matzoh) of 16th-century Prague. Like Rogasky's book, Wisniewski's exposes the slander that was embraced and widely promulgated during the Holocaust years. Loew's Golem--a sort of simple yet powerful giant made of clay with the Hebrew word emet (truth) on his forehead--is named Joseph and charged to ‘guard the ghetto at night and catch those planting false evidence of the Blood Lie . . . and bring them unharmed to the authorities.’ In Wisniewski's story, the Golem turns back the rampaging masses who want to destroy the Jews of Prague and is eventually returned to the clay from which he sprang. The cut-paper collages are exquisitely produced and exceedingly dramatic. There is menace and majesty in Wisniewski's use of color, and he finds atmosphere and terror in a scissor's stroke. A fact- filled final note concludes this mesmerizing book” (1996). No title. [Review of the book Golem by D. Wisniewski] Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.
Suggestions: The pictures in this book can be a little frightening and the story too laden with adult-themes at times, so I would caution against using it with younger children in a story time. I think it would be wise to use your judgment as to the readiness level of kids to hear this story. Once that has been established, this story can be used several ways: the illustrations can be used to inspire kids to make their own cut-paper illustrated stories or it can be a discussion starter concerning the themes running through this particular story and how they compare to other folk-tales (or even Mary Shelley's Frankenstein)
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, written by Margaret Musgrove and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, is a beautiful book with a different take on the ABCs. Each page includes a letter of the alphabet (in order, of course) with an African tribe that begins with that letter and is accompanied by a wonderfully intricate illustration that emphasizes the traditions of that particular tribe. Also included are a few short sentences that describes tribal traditions that range from family, to clothes, to singing.
Musgrove, M. (1992). Ashanti to Zulu: African traditions. New York: Dial Books.
Impressions: The cover of this book, much like Golem, caught my eye right away. The cover alone is award-winning; the colors are rich and vibrant and the individuals immediately bring to mind old tribal masks and costumes. Musgrove does a terrific job with the ABCs, describing African people and traditions that are both familiar and unfamiliar. Her words weave together a kind of story of nation rich with traditions and culture and allow the reader to experience a way of life that he or she may not have known about before. Once I started flipping through the pages, however, it became apparent that this book deserved the Caldecott award--the nearly full-page illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillion are beautiful but not just in an innovative or pretty way. Each drawing is carefully detailed and done with such precision that the individuals (even though they're just illustrations) have an air of stateliness that you can't help but respect. The colors and shapes are reminiscent of older, authentic tribal drawings, masks, and costumes, meaning that the Dillons' have done their homework and the art is true to African tradition and culture. If Musgrove's words take you to Africa, the Dillons' drawings cement the journey and trust me, it's one that is worth taking.
Reviews:
"From A to Z, an authentic portrait of 26 African tribes, stunningly illustrated by winners of the 1976 and 1977 Caldecott Medal. The magnificently composed pictures are warm with the tones of the earth and rich with authentic details of African life. Their stylized elegance manages to capture both the variety and vitality of African tribal life. The research done by both author and illustrators is obvious throughout." --Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print
"Another virtuoso performance...Such an astute blend of aesthetics and information is admirable, the child's eye will be rewarded many times over." --Booklist as retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Ashanti-Zulu-African-Traditions-Picture/dp/0140546049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298433368&sr=8-1
Suggestions:
I think this book would make a terrific story time book for older kids, and it would work especially well for an art project. It would be good inspiration for children to make their own ABC books about a subject they really like and then create illustrations to go with each letter. This project could last over a span of several weeks, perhaps by doing only 5 letters at a time. The end results could be displayed around the library for other patrons to see.
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