Grandma Rose's Magic

by Linda Elovitz Marshall, Ag Jatkowska (Illustrator)

Overview

Every day Grandma Rose sews and every day she saves – for a set of beautiful dishes with pink and red roses and blue trim. And whenever she sews, something magical happens. A tale of generosity rewarded.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512489033
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2012
Series:	Shabbat 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

Linda Elovitz Marshall raised her four children, a small flock of sheep, lots of zucchinis and countless rabbits in a historic farmhouse overlooking the Hudson River in upstate New York. A graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University, she has written many children’s books. 

Ag Jatkowska was born in Gdansk, Poland. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk with an MA in Graphic Design and Illustration. She lives in Bath, England.

Editorial Reviews

"Grandma Rose loves to sew and has over the years brought joy into the lives of many people in her community. With a needle, some thread, and a piece of cloth she makes magic in the form of dresses for girls, slacks for boys, curtains and quilts, dolls for grandchildren, tablecloths, and much more. Her dream is to save enough money so that one day she can purchase a set of beautiful dishes with pink and red roses and blue trim.

As we were reading this heart-warming story written by Linda Elovitz Marshall for children ages 3 to 8 years old, we thought of all the love that goes into the craft of sewing and how it creates connections between people. For Grandma Rose it is a major part of her day and provides a source of personal renewal and service to others." —Spirituality & Practice

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2—Grandma Rose sews wonderful clothing and linens for her friends and family. The grateful recipients comment on the surprise touches she always adds to her pieces, but she just says, "Must be magic." She saves the money she earns to buy a set of pretty dishes like the ones her own grandmother used on Shabbos (the Jewish sabbath). A moment of crisis comes when the dishes are no longer available at the department store, but she arrives home to find that her family has bought her the coveted china and has gathered to celebrate her generosity. This is a pleasant (if somewhat saccharine) story, but children hoping for a tale of magic will be disappointed. Those seeking Jewish content may also be disappointed to find it limited to that one mention of Shabbos, although Grandma Rose could be used as an example of "a woman of valor." Bright, cheerful paintings in a mildly retro style show an iconic grandmother, complete with half-moon glasses and white bun. All in all, this is a rather girly story both thematically and visually, and the lack of any real action may limit its appeal.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

School Library Journal

Can sewing make magic? Yes, if it's done by kind-hearted Grandma Rose. Every day she sews, and every day she saves to buy a beautiful set of dishes, just like the ones her grandmother used on Shabbos. She sews for everyone: a skirt for Mrs. Feldman, a blue tablecloth for Mrs. Cooper, a hat for Mrs. Segal and a shirt for Mr. Cohen. For each item, she stitches something extra (rose-shaped buttons for the skirt, a set of napkins for the tablecloth and so on), as if by magic. When her jar of coins reaches $200, she goes to the store to buy the pretty pink-and-red–rose dishes with blue-and-gold trim. Oh no, the department store does not have them! Sadly, she uses her money to buy food for a special meal and returns home. Surprise! Each of the people for whom she sewed is there, holding a piece of her beloved china. The attractive illustrations (reminiscent of Emma Chichester Clark) add Jewish references to situate the story firmly within its community. A well-stitched tale about generosity for people of all faiths. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews