Raisel's Riddle
Written by: Erica Silverman
Illustrated by: Susan Gaber
Published by Douglas & McIntyre Ltd. in Canada in 1999
Genre: Traditional Literature
Ages: grades 3-5
(This is a multicultural work.)
Summary: This work is about a young Jewish girl who is very close to her grandfather and learns much from him during his life. After his passing, she has little inheritance and goes home-to-home in search of work, finally arriving at a home where the reluctant cook offers her a job working in the kitchen; she accepts. Eventually, she falls in love with the rabbi's son when she meets him at a traditional Jewish party where all the invitees dress as famous people who surrounded Queen Esther during her lifetime. (Raisel is dressed as the queen in the story.) She tells this young man a riddle one night that her grandfather once told her about learning and the rabbi's son is so intrigued by it (and her) that he searches for her after the party.
Response: I loved this book! It was so refreshing to finally read a Cinderella tale where the girl wins the boy because of her intelligence! Raisel's Riddle is:
"What's more precious than rubies, more lasting than gold?
What can never be trades, stolen, or sold?
What comes with great effort and takes time, but then--
Once yours, will serve you again and again?" (page 31)
The answer?.....LEARNING!
This book is great for teachers or future teachers. It makes me want to frame that riddle and hang it in my future classroom!
This story is somewhat different than Cinderella, although there are some similarities. Raisel does have a change in her life where she is forced to find a job in a place where she is not appreciated and she does get the chance to meet a prince-like figure and my magic is transformed into a radiant beauty with a horse-drawn carriage before her. However, she is of Jewish descent and does not go to a ball, but instead goes to a traditional celebration of Jewish Queen Esther, like whom she is dressed. And, she does not fall in love with a prince, but instead, the rabbi's son!
One of my favorite things about this book is the modesty and consideration of others Raisel has. Her modesty is shown not only in the text (when she hears that the prince is looking for the girl who told him the riddle, she does not automatically assume it's her riddle, "Raisel's heart fluttered. Could it be me?") (page 29), but is also depicted in the illustrations. When her clothes first change into those of the Queen and then when she arrives at the ball her face looks as though she is in disbelief and wonder that everyone could be so stuck by her. Furthermore, her consideration of other is depicted in the text when she returns from the party and remembers that she did not do the dishes before she left. Sensing that this will anger the cook, she uses her third wish to rapidly clean the kitchen to please the cook. She could have chosen to save the wish for herself, but she did not so choose.
The illustrations in this work are wonderful! Each of them would likely be considered a two-page spread, but the words are always on the side of one half of one page with a white background. The illustrations are filled with rich colors and are extremely well detailed. One of my favorite illustrations is on pages 21-22 and is a close-up of Raisel in her lovely gown with her jewels and her crown. She looks so elegant and unassuming in that illustration. Another of my favorite illustrations is the final one in the book on pages 31-32. I love this picture because it shows the couple when the rabbi's son proposes. He is dressed in a brown suit and she is in her kitchen uniform with her apron and it reminds me that dreams can come true. I also really like this particular illustrations because Susan Gaber painted yellow roses on top of her picture of the couple. It really is beautiful!
Teaching Connections: With this work, teachers could also use the idea for an I-Poem for two voices. (See post entitled Moss Gown for format.)
Teachers could also use this book as the springboard for a multicultural study beginning with the study of Judaism. A class could research Jewish names, the Jewish Talmud, the Jewish holiday of Purim, which contain the party surrounding Queen Esther, and other Jewish traditions.
Written by: Erica Silverman
Illustrated by: Susan Gaber
Published by Douglas & McIntyre Ltd. in Canada in 1999
Genre: Traditional Literature
Ages: grades 3-5
(This is a multicultural work.)
Summary: This work is about a young Jewish girl who is very close to her grandfather and learns much from him during his life. After his passing, she has little inheritance and goes home-to-home in search of work, finally arriving at a home where the reluctant cook offers her a job working in the kitchen; she accepts. Eventually, she falls in love with the rabbi's son when she meets him at a traditional Jewish party where all the invitees dress as famous people who surrounded Queen Esther during her lifetime. (Raisel is dressed as the queen in the story.) She tells this young man a riddle one night that her grandfather once told her about learning and the rabbi's son is so intrigued by it (and her) that he searches for her after the party.
Response: I loved this book! It was so refreshing to finally read a Cinderella tale where the girl wins the boy because of her intelligence! Raisel's Riddle is:
"What's more precious than rubies, more lasting than gold?
What can never be trades, stolen, or sold?
What comes with great effort and takes time, but then--
Once yours, will serve you again and again?" (page 31)
The answer?.....LEARNING!
This book is great for teachers or future teachers. It makes me want to frame that riddle and hang it in my future classroom!
This story is somewhat different than Cinderella, although there are some similarities. Raisel does have a change in her life where she is forced to find a job in a place where she is not appreciated and she does get the chance to meet a prince-like figure and my magic is transformed into a radiant beauty with a horse-drawn carriage before her. However, she is of Jewish descent and does not go to a ball, but instead goes to a traditional celebration of Jewish Queen Esther, like whom she is dressed. And, she does not fall in love with a prince, but instead, the rabbi's son!
One of my favorite things about this book is the modesty and consideration of others Raisel has. Her modesty is shown not only in the text (when she hears that the prince is looking for the girl who told him the riddle, she does not automatically assume it's her riddle, "Raisel's heart fluttered. Could it be me?") (page 29), but is also depicted in the illustrations. When her clothes first change into those of the Queen and then when she arrives at the ball her face looks as though she is in disbelief and wonder that everyone could be so stuck by her. Furthermore, her consideration of other is depicted in the text when she returns from the party and remembers that she did not do the dishes before she left. Sensing that this will anger the cook, she uses her third wish to rapidly clean the kitchen to please the cook. She could have chosen to save the wish for herself, but she did not so choose.
The illustrations in this work are wonderful! Each of them would likely be considered a two-page spread, but the words are always on the side of one half of one page with a white background. The illustrations are filled with rich colors and are extremely well detailed. One of my favorite illustrations is on pages 21-22 and is a close-up of Raisel in her lovely gown with her jewels and her crown. She looks so elegant and unassuming in that illustration. Another of my favorite illustrations is the final one in the book on pages 31-32. I love this picture because it shows the couple when the rabbi's son proposes. He is dressed in a brown suit and she is in her kitchen uniform with her apron and it reminds me that dreams can come true. I also really like this particular illustrations because Susan Gaber painted yellow roses on top of her picture of the couple. It really is beautiful!
Teaching Connections: With this work, teachers could also use the idea for an I-Poem for two voices. (See post entitled Moss Gown for format.)
Teachers could also use this book as the springboard for a multicultural study beginning with the study of Judaism. A class could research Jewish names, the Jewish Talmud, the Jewish holiday of Purim, which contain the party surrounding Queen Esther, and other Jewish traditions.
(Image retrieved from http://www.judaism.com/gif-bk/35128.gif on 4 April 2008)
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