The Elephant and the Purim Crown

by Haviva Kierzenblat, Rebeca Luciani (Illustrator)

Overview

Rachel thinks she will feel like Queen Esther when she rides an elephant draped in fancy fabric through the streets of Rangoon. Then she notices the old elephant's bruised and cracked feet, and she doesn’t feel so royal. So when Rachel wins the gold Purim crown at the synagogue celebration, she has an idea about how she can help the elephant. Inspired by the author's mother's memories of growing up in the Burmese Jewish community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765652961
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/07/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Haviva Kierzenblat spent many moons with her elephant loving grandfather, steeped in stories of Sephardic life in Rangoon, Burma. Haviva loves antique French paper dolls, botanical gardens, cooking curries, and being an awesome auntie. She lives in San Marino, California.
Rebeca Luciana is an Argentinian illustrator, now living in Spain. Her books have won the Premi Crítica Serra d'Or prize, the Açorianos prize for Best Book of the Year, and the Premi Junceda.

Editorial Reviews

"Rich with atmosphere and history."—Jewish Book Council

From the Publisher

2024-10-12
A young girl’s compassion proves more precious than gold or rubies.

Drawing from her mother’s childhood in Burma (now Myanmar), where a vibrant Jewish community flourished for years, Kierzenblat tells a story centered on the Jewish value of treating animals with kindness. Rachel is on her way to a Purim celebration when her cousin points out a man offering elephant rides. She’s disturbed to find that underneath its elaborate costume, the animal is old and tired. Later, at the Purim festival, Rachel wins a valuable golden crown. She decides to trade her prize for the elephant, allowing it to retire. The elephant handler is so moved by her selflessness that he lets her keep the crown and the elephant. Rachel donates both to a sanctuary, demonstrating that animals are the real treasure. Though wearing costume crowns is a common way to honor Purim hero Queen Esther, readers may find it implausible that a child is inexplicably gifted a towering, bejeweled creation worth more than an elephant. Still, with richly colored illustrations and alliterative text, the story portrays a variety of Burmese Jewish foods, clothing, and traditions. Characters are depicted with medium to dark brown skin tones. An author’s note addresses both Kierzenblat’s connection to the historic Jewish community in Myanmar and the status of its elephants, accompanied by photographs.

A welcome glimpse of a culture too rarely depicted in American children’s literature. (glossary)(Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews