The Mitzvah Magician

by Linda Elovitz Marshall, Intuitive (Read by)

Overview

"One-wish, two-wish, Jew-wish!"

Gabriel's magic wand gets him into trouble around the house, until he learns that the greatest magician is a Mitzvah Magician, using his powers to do good deeds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512499650
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2012
Series:	Jewish Values
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	24
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	6 - 7 Years

About the Author

Linda Elovitz Marshall is an acclaimed author of two dozen books for children. Linda's Jewish-themed books include THE POLIO PIONEER: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine and the forthcoming and very important, BRAVE VOLODYMYR: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for Ukraine with illustrations by Ukrainian artist Grasya Oliyko (HarperCollins). Her award-winning work has been translated into almost a dozen languages and adapted for dance, theater, and radio.

Christiane Engel is a freelance illustrator based in London. Born in Germany, she moved to England to complete her animation/illustration degree. Christiane has illustrated many picture books.

Editorial Reviews

"Gabriel’s overzealous wand-waving gets him into trouble when he plays magician: he knocks things over and pokes his sister in the tummy. Mom helps him redefine the role of magician. 'Good magicians do things that make people happy, not sad. They do mitzvot–that’s a Jewish word for good deeds.' Mulling it over in time out, Gabriel comes up with new magic words, 'One-wish! Two-wish! Jew-wish!' and acts quickly to magically surprise his family with a clean house and yummy treat. While not all readers may agree that a magician’s role is to do good deeds, in this context the 'magic' angle makes it fun to do good. The simplified definition of 'mitzvot' (technically, biblical commandments) is appropriate for young readers, especially the non-Orthodox Jews represented in the bright and blocky paintings. Jewish families and educators will welcome this title for its reinforcement of the mitzvah concept."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Whenever Gabriel the great magician commands "Presto Magico," a small disaster occurs. His magic wand is his tool of choice to empty a glass and make his sister disappear. But to achieve these ends, he knocks over the glass and pokes his sister. Mom gives him a time out and sets him to thinking about using his magic to do mitzvot, or good deeds. He decides that his magic needs some "Jewish words," so he comes up with "One-wish! Two-wish! Jew-wish!" as his new mantra. He carefully cleans the mess in the kitchen, puts his toys away and sets the table for snack time. With waves of his wand and his new magic words, he astonishes his mother with the amazing transformation and a new purpose for his magic. Marshall evokes gentle humor in this tale of a very believable little boy whose infatuation with a new toy leads to overzealous enthusiasm followed by remorse and creative atonement. The introduction of key Yiddish words (in both singular and plural) is accomplished seamlessly and serves to stress the universality of this family's experiences rather than emphasizing any cultural differences. (Though it's too bad the text does not correctly cite the language as Yiddish, instead of "Jewish.") Engel's brightly hued, delightfully detailed illustrations ably capture the action while maintaining a slightly skewed playfulness that is enhanced by the casual typeface, coloring and spacing of the text. Abracadabra! Lovely magic indeed. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews