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

Editorial Reviews

"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

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