David WisniewskiBesprekingen

This book would sit well in either a 2nd grade or 3rd grade classroom. It has some themes and words that should be saved for older kids but not too old. The book is about a Jewish ghetto in the Czech Republic in the 1500s. They are mocked and slandered by the people of Prague so a rabbi summons a Golem whose only purpose is to keep the Jewish people safe. The golem proceeds to do just that but the more it protects the Jewish people, the more it grew. By the time the Jewish people were safe the Golem did not want to go back to being clay but its purpose had been served. I think this book would be good to introduce some religion to students, but not in a preaching way. It shows a legend, or tale, about something and children would find it interesting.

independent reading level: 3+
Awards: Caldecott Medal

Beautifully illustrated and told.

In this poignant and dramatic retelling of the Jewish traditional tale of invoking supernatural forces to protect the Jewish people from oppression, in ancient Prague, and the striking use of cut-paper collage illustrations combine to make a truly powerful and moving story. The afterword adds interest by discussing the history of the Jews and the legend of the golem. This book would make a wonderful traditional cultural read-aloud story to share with students.

Amazing illustrations. Author's note states that they were based on paper collage (3-D) which was photographed with light for shadows. Beautiful.

What is an appropriate age? Advanced humor and story.

The Golem is created from clay to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution. It then gets a little out of control (blood and death everywhere) and is returned to the clay. Some Golem retellings are very scary, but Wisniewski gives the Golem in his story a sympathetic personality-he is a newly born creature appreciating the world's beauty. It makes it a little more palatable for the youngest readers.

The cut-paper illustrations are incredible and look almost 3D. The colors are those of the earth-browns, greys, reds, and are so dramatic. They match the story perfectly.

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A story of Elfwyn, the daughter of a Viking settler, who is born blind because of a curse. Since she is blind she does not fall under the spell of an evil crystal, and is able to break the crystal to save her village. When the crystal breaks, legend has it that the shards of the crystal are what formed the Aurora Borealis (the northern lights).

In the thirteenth century, Sundiata overcame physical handicaps, social disgrace, and strong opposition to rule the West African trading empire of Mali.

The emperor sets a nearly impossible task to decide which of his twin sons should next rule Japan. Is Tozaemon brace enough to seize the five eternal elements from the demons that guard them.

Unlike with Mouse, I have actually heard about the Golem creature before. Since I am a big horror movie fan, I immediately think of the 1920 German silent film The Golem: How He Came into the World. That being said, I never really looked into the folklore behind this figure from Jewish literature. In this book, Golem is basically a clay creature brought to life to end the oppressive blood libel myth in Prague. You really feel for Golem in this story because even though his sole purpose is to be a protector for others, he begins to want to enjoy his life as well. In that regard, it definitely came off as a proto-Frankenstein where the humanity of a formerly inanimate creature is explored. So, although this book could stand on its own, I would definitely recommend to teachers that they teach Golem and its myth alongside Frankenstein.

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Epic, architectural, and dynamic illustrations bring the folktale of Golem to life. In late 1800s Prague, decades of ethnic and religious unrest is culminating in violent persecution of Jews. At the request of the Czech emperor, a man named Joseph and Rabbi Loew are entrusted to find a solution to the discord — and Golem, a giant made of clay, becomes the fierce defender of the Jews.

A powerful tale of resistance from hatred and ethnic cleansing. Would be best used with other lessons and sources about religious unrest in this time period.

a story set in 16th century Prague where there was turmoil in the land, a Rabbi by the name of Judah, Loew ben Bezalel formed a massive load of clay called Golem to help protect the Jews. Once Golem had protected the people the rabbi told him it was time for him to return to the ground. Golem did not like that and wanted to stay living But the Rabbi successfully returned him the the Earth .

A Jewish rabbi created a shapeless man out of clay to protect the Jews from persecution in Prague in 1580. But sadly, the giant man, Golem, had to be returned to clay once his job was done. This is a unique book with cut paper pieces to form the illustrations. It would be a truly unique way to teach kids about the persecution of Jew that occurred way before the holocaust. Includes a note from the author about Jewish history.

With vivid colorful images we learn the tale of how the Mayan people kept the rains coming to grow their corn crop. Although it is well written, it does not feel "authentic".

David Wisniewski was an artist who worked as a clown and shadow puppeteer before turning to cut paper and children's books. Wisniewski used an X-Acto knife, double-stick foam tape and, he said in an interview, ''a lot of No. 11 blades,'' He made from 800 to 1,000 cuts to do the 16 illustrations in one of his books. He used his layered cut-paper technique in many books, including Golem.
This is one of my favorite picture book "read-alouds" for a number of reasons. The diversity and authenticity of "The Wave..." in its representation of Tlingit tribal history and culture is huge.

An excellent introduction to a traditional Jewish folktale around an incident in their European history. The Golem's desire to live gives him a more human face, less scary for children.

Top 100 Pick because:

The straightforward, unassuming nature of the text is juxtaposed with the fantasical and layed cut paper style collage to visually portray the story. As the Golem is given life by a faithful Jewish Rabbi, the pictures give life and meaning to the non-hyperbolic tone of the words. I love the way Wisniewski uses cut paper to piece together the rich cultural and social history of the Jewish people. The images are dark and dramatic, inferring the tension and danger present in the stories narrative. I don't necessarily think the images further the story with new or hidden information. They complement what is being said, and provide a stunning representation of what the text offers, but overall do not share secret messages that add new meaning. That being said the text and illustrations are beautifully rendered and the Caldecott Medal is well deserved. I also love the way the Golem is depicted. Even though the illustrations are collages, the Golem is given expressions and human emotions that makes the reader sympathize with him and his desire to live.
Finally, Wisniewski adds a one page note at the end of the book, providing extra historical and cultural context that invites readers to further explore the true story behind this one.
**Stories that discuss history, culture, religion and other social themes really make me feel invested.

Summary: To bring rain to his thirsty village, Pik challenges the rain god to a game of pok-a-tok.

This dramatic tale passed down through oral tradition for many years received a Caldecott medal when rewritten by David Wisniewski. It is the tale of a young crippled boy and his fight to recover. He not only fights his body but his family and the land he was born to lead. The true test is his character at the end and he shows the word that yes, it was always he that was meant to be king as foretold. This is a wonderful morality tale and particularly relevant for children with physical differences. I wish I had known about it when my son was younger and in constant physical therapy as well as being ridiculed by peers.

The story of Golem is one that has been told across several continents and has worked its way into the folklore of a variety of cultures. This particular rendition centers around a town in the 1600's in Eastern Europe where the local Jews were being tormented and treated cruelly. It has a much darker atmosphere from the dark, cutting illustrations, to the matter-of-fact style of speak used by the Rabbi and other characters in the story. A local Rabbi builds a giant clay Golem in which he inscribed the word "Emet" on his head. "Emet" is the Hebrew word for "life" and when he carved this word into the clay giant's forehead it brought him to life. The Rabbi told him that his only purpose was to protect the Jews which he began doing right away. But when the time came when he was no longer needed, the Rabbi erases the first letter from the Golem's forehead so that it read "met" or "death" and the giant crashed to the ground in a pile of clay. The story concludes in a way that many Jewish stories end with a ray of hope when they mention that the Golem was locked away in the Temple in case there ever came a day when he might need to protect the Jewish people again.

During a politically tense time when the Jews are being persecuted in Prague, Rabbi Leow summons life in clay. The clay being, Golem, is charged with protecting the Jews. He does, and comes to love life. When his job is done, he again returns to clay and is left in "dreamless sleep".

This book is about an investigator who is a chocolate chip cookie. He is solving crimes about "The Jar" and forever battling "The Fingers".