Ann Jungman

In my opinion, this is a great book for children to read. The text is very clear and descriptive when needed. This story could be told with so much detail but then it would not be child friendly. Instead, the story is told very basically but with a detailed description of the setting. This allows students to feel like they are at the mosque but still understand the story. I also really like the illustrations. They are large and consume some of the full pages. This gives the reader a lot to look at. The illustrations are also very detailed and enhance the stories meaning. Much of the story talks about this beautiful mosque and the illustrations reflect this. Lastly, the book pushes readers to think about religion and getting along. Throughout history, Judaism, Christianity, and the Muslim religion have not gotten along. This book portrays what they can achieve when they do get along and work together. This makes the readers think about possible change.… (meer)

This second installment in a new series of folklore collections for children from the British publisher Frances Lincoln (see Ghaddar the Ghoul for the first), contains ten stories taken from the Jewish traditions of Eastern Europe and Northern Africa. British-Australian author Ann Jungman gives many of these tales a fresh and contemporary narrative style.

The folktale enthusiast will encounter old favorites and new delights here, from the famous Golem of Prague to the less well-known Chilli Champion (of Morocco). Like many such tales, the stories in the Prince Who Thought He Was a Rooster often provide the reader (or listener, once upon a time) with important moral and ethical lessons. A discontented couple in No Room to Swing a Cat discovers that things can always get worse, and that it is best to appreciate the blessings one has already been given. An old man learns at the end of The Coat of Memories that although physical possessions may eventually deteriorate, memory is eternal. And a king and prince discover that how you act is more important than who you are (or even who you THINK you are) in the eponymous The Prince Who Thought He Was a Rooster.

The ubiquitous "clever" hero can be seen in The Hundred Faces of the Tsar and The Silent Princess, as can the wise Rabbi in King for Three Days. The unavoidable centrality of luck in human existence is explored in How Does It Feel; and finally, the importance of honor and friendship is seen in the wonderful interfaith Friends for Life.

As with Ghaddar the Ghoul, I enjoyed this collection of tales, and was pleased to see the list of source notes at the back. The black and white illustrations by Sarah Adams were pleasant, if unremarkable. Unfortunately, I feel unable to award this the three stars I might otherwise have given it, due to the irritating absence of a single worthwhile female character in this collection. Given the wealth of clever and worthy women in the Jewish tradition, I find such an absence astonishing.… (meer)