Purim Play

by Roni Schotter, Marylin Hafner (Illustrator)

Overview

A family celebrates Purim by putting on a play about Queen Esther, enlisting the help of a neighbor who does an excellent job of playing the part of Haman.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761458005
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	01/05/2012
Series:	Purim Series
Pages:	34
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

RONI SCHOTTER is the author of many children’s books, including Hanukkah!, winner of the National Jewish Book Award, and its companion, Passover Magic. She enjoys speaking to children in schools and lives in a small village north of New York City.

The late MARYLIN HAFNER illustrated many popular books during her lifetime, including Hanukkah! by Roni Schotter, It’s Halloween and It’s Christmas by Jack Prelutsky, Germs Make Me Sick! by Melvin Berger, and A Carnival of Animals by Sid Fleischman. The mother of two daughters, she graduated from Pratt Institute and made her home in Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

In Schotter's clever introduction to Purim, the show must go on, even if two performers have the flu. Every year, Frannie, her brother Ezra, and their two cousins put on a Purim play, reenacting the Bible story of how Queen Esther saved the Jews from the evil prime minister Haman. When her cousins fall ill and can't perform, Frannie is disappointed that her neighbor Mrs. Teplitzky offers to play one of the roles. But her worries are soon put to rest when Mrs. Teplitzky, who used to be a real actress, arrives in a splendid costume. Within this framework, Schotter weaves in details about hamantaschen (the special Purim pastries) and the tradition of mishloah manot (sending Purim sweets to relatives and friends). Hafner's lively watercolors depict a busy, close-knit family enjoying last-minute holiday preparations. Two helpful endnotes explain the story of Purim and how it is celebrated, and a recipe for "Mama's Famous `Bet-You-Can't-Eat-Just-One' Apricot-Orange Hamantaschen" is also included. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

K-Gr 2Frannie and her siblings celebrate Purim by re-enacting the story on which the holiday is based. This year, however, their play is in danger because their cousins have the flu and can't take part. The children are surprised and dismayed to learn that their mother has recruited a neighbor, Mrs. Teplitzky, who speaks with a "funny" accent, to play the evil Haman, who intended to kill all of the Jews. The elderly widow turns out to be a superb villain and steals the show. She also becomes a friend. Woven into the text are customs associated with the holiday. A page of information about the history of Purim and another on how it is celebrated round out the book. Cheerful watercolor illustrations and cartoonlike characters full of expression complement a warm, lively text.Libby K. White, Schenectady County Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

A funny companion to Hanukkah! (1990) and Passover Magic (1995), by the same team. Here young Frannie is distraught because a cousin, who always takes the part of villain Haman in the annual family Purim play, has the flu, and her mother has invited a neighbor, eccentric old Mrs. Teplitzky, to join the family celebration and play the role. Mrs. Teplitzky (a dead ringer for Grandma Rose in Hanukkah!) turns out to have been an actress in her youth, makes up stagestruck Frannie as the most fetching Esther ever, and coaxes brother Ezra out of his wooden delivery of Mordechai's lines. The play is a rousing success, and by the end of the evening Frannie and Mrs. Teplitzky, with their mutual love of theater, are good friends. Another warm, amenable look at family life during a special holiday. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews