Audiobook14 minutes
In The Month of Kislev
Written by Nina Jaffe
Narrated by Theodore Bikel
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
A wealthy arrogant merchant learns the true meaning of Hanukkah when he takes the family of a poor peddler to court for savoring the smell of his wifes' pancakes from outside their window.
Related to In The Month of Kislev
Children's Holidays & Celebrations For You
A Nancy Drew Christmas: Nancy Drew Diaries, Book 18 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Little Monster (a Music & Sound FX Audiobook about a Monster Afraid of the Dark) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Snow Dragon Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bad Seed Presents: The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Say Cheese and Die! (Classic Goosebumps #8) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scary Stories That I Will Never Forget: Short Scary Stories for Kids - Book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creepy Carrots! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Haunted Mask (Classic Goosebumps #4) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stay Out of the Basement (Classic Goosebumps #22) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Halloween Tales: And Other Creepy Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/511 Birthdays: A Wish Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Cat's 12 Groovy Days of Christmas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (Classic Goosebumps #6) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Night Before Christmas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Timeless Christmas Short Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5There's a Zombie in My Bathtub Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Spirit of Christmas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jake & The Gingerbread Wars Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Best School Year Ever Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sky Song Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Shiloh Christmas Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Best Halloween Ever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Autobiography of Santa Claus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Diary of a Christmas Elf: festive magic in the blockbuster hit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for In The Month of Kislev
Rating: 4.250000125 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
4 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The family of Mendel the peddler find themselves in terrible need one Hanukkah season, with no money to buy food - not even the makings for a single latke! - and little fuel to keep their tiny hut warm. Returning home from the synagogue on the first night of the holiday, his three young daughters - Leah, Gittel and Devorah - stop beneath the kitchen window of the wealthy merchant Feivel, and briefly enjoy the scent of good food. Comforted by this, they begin to make the same stop each night, going to bed with smiles on their faces. Their parents think at first that it is a Hanukkah miracle, but when the greedy Feivel discovers what is going on, they find themselves brought before Rabbi Yonah. Will they be made to pay for the scent of Feivel's food? And if so, what is the appropriate price...?The story of the scent of food being paid for with the sound of money is one that can be found in many folk traditions around the world. From the Japanese stories of Ōoka Tadasuke, a samurai and judge who once adjudicated "The Case of the Stolen Smell" (see the collection Ooka the Wise: Tales of Old Japan for one retelling), to the Turkish tales concerning the Nasreddin Hodja, a famous trickster and wise man who once had to value "The Smell of Soup" (see Nearly Nonsense: Hoja Tales from Turkey for a telling of the tale), there are many examples to be found. For a story collected in the United States, see Sharon Creeden's Fair Is Fair: World Folktales of Justice. This Jewish variant, told to Nina Jaffe by her father, makes for a lovely Hanukkah story, but also has relevance throughout the year. I liked the fact that the Rabbi's judgment is not the conclusion here, but that Feivel is allowed to learn his lesson, and is shown to have reformed. This adds a nice touch, I think, making the lesson one about sharing, but also forgiveness, as Mendel and his family join the Feivel family for their next Hanukkah celebration.All in all, In the Month of Kislev: A Story for Hanukkah is a wonderful folkloric retelling, and an appealing holiday story. The narrative is involving, and the artwork - wood-cuttings that are then painted - is lovely. Highly recommended to all young folklore enthusiasts, as well as to anyone looking for good Hanukkah stories for children.