Barnyard Purim

by Kelly Terwilliger, Barbara Johansen Newman (Illustrator)

Overview

Purim is a topsy-turvy time, even on the farm. The animals decide to stage a Purim play, and Chicken assigns the parts. Blushing Duck is Queen Esther, Silly Horse is Ahashuerus, and Bearded Goat is Mordechai. But when they try to transform Shy Little Sheep into mean-looking Haman, something unexpected happens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512487626
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2012
Series:	Purim Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kelly Terwilliger is a resident storyteller for Oregon elementary schools, as well as a poet and visual artist. She received a BA in English literature from Swarthmore College, and an MA in literature from the University of Wisconsin. She lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and two children. She is also the author of Bubbe Isabella and the Sukkot Cake.

Editorial Reviews

When Farmer Max bids his barnyard animals goodnight as he heads off to a Purim play, the animals gets moving on a plan: they’ll put on their own Purim play. Horse won’t say nay to his role as King Ahashuerus, and sheep is set to play bad Haman, until another animal sneaks into the barnyard, and Esther doesn’t duck an opportunity for barnyard heroism. Youngest readers who don’t know the story may be slightly confused, but those familiar with the holiday tale will enjoy its barnyard reimagining. The story by Terwilliger (Bubbe Isabella and the Sukkot Cake) economically endows its characters with distinctive personalities. Johansen Newman renders a Purim-lively setting crowded with animals in her full-bleed spreads. Ages 5–9. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"When Farmer Max goes off to see a Purim play, the resourceful animals he has left behind decide to put on their own Purim play. The biggest of them all, Horse, seems a natural choice for the role of the King. Goat’s beard makes him a shoo-in for Mordecai, and sweet, bashful Duck is the perfect Esther. Sheep, though, isn’t at all comfortable playing the evil Haman; why do the cows keep mooing so meanly at him? Maybe a costume will make it easier to pretend. Just as Sheep is getting into a properly villainous fox costume, a real fox appears in the barnyard and at first no one knows who’s who. It takes a very brave 'Queen Esther' and the combined efforts of all the farm animals to save the day and banish the actual fox. Bravo! What a show! Energetic and charmingly zany illustrations showcase each distinct animal personality. The book is probably a better choice for children already familiar with Purim; the actual Purim story, along with its moral and ethical dilemmas, takes a backseat to the zany commotion here. But on its own merits, the tale will probably have young readers quacking up.' Recommendedfor ages 5-9." —Jewish Book World

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2—The story of how brave Queen Esther saved the Jewish people of Persia from wicked Haman's evil plot is often retold as a play during Purim. When Farmer Max leaves to go to the performance, the animals decide to put on their own production. Chicken appoints himself director and assigns the parts: Duck as Queen Esther, Goat as Mordechai, Horse as King Ahashuerus, and Sheep as Haman, with the cows as noisemakers and the geese as the members of the audience. But when Sheep has difficulty in his role as Haman, Goat takes him into the barn to find a costume to inspire him. Meanwhile, Fox shows up with his eyes on Duck. The animals all assume he is Sheep in a fox costume. When they realize their mistake, they band together to chase the interloper away. The detailed, expressive illustrations add to the animals' personalities, but the lengthy text is heavy on dialogue, making it difficult to distinguish among the characters. Not as accessible as Leone Adelson's The Mystery Bear: A Purim Story (Clarion, 2004), this offering will best be enjoyed by readers already familiar with the Purim story.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

School Library Journal

The loud, chaotic celebration of Purim and its companion story is recreated in a farm-animal play that results in a surprising development. After Farmer Max leaves to attend a Purim play, the animals decide to stage their own version. Chicken offers to direct, orchestrating Horse as the King Ahashuerus, Duck as the blushing Queen Esther, bearded Goat as Mordecai, cows as the mooing noisemakers and geese as the audience. Casting a somewhat sensitive Sheep as the evil Haman requires some explanation from Chicken as she retells the holiday's story through her patient direction. "They aren't mooing at YOU...They're mooing at evil Haman." Still fretting over her role, Sheep retreats off stage to dress in, yes, her wolf's costume, while a new character, Fox, suddenly appears on the scene with real evil intentions. Confusion quickly moves to realization, with Duck's bravado leading a flurry of noisy animal antics to scare the fox away before Farmer Max returns with a basket of hamantaschen. Gouache cartoons of wide-eyed, long-lashed characters in muted browns, blacks and tans add enough charm to the required pathos of the text's circumvented telling for this menagerie's megillah. Enjoyable fare for youngsters who already have a concept of the holiday. (Picture books/religion. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews