Avram's Gift

by Margie Blumberg, Laurie McGaw (Illustrator)

Overview

Eight-year-old Mark is scared of a photograph of his great-great-grandfather Avram, which hangs, stern and unsmiling, in the hall outside his bedroom. When the family gathers for Rosh Hashanah, Mark learns that his forbidding ancestor was in fact a kind and patient man, a happy tailor who wove wonderful stories for his grandchildren and delighted in leading them in joyous celebrations of the holidays. A charming portrait of a traditional Rosh Hashanah celebration among loving family members, the book even includes a recipe for honey cake on the last page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780962416637
Publisher:	MB Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	09/28/2005
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.12(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Margie Blumberg is the author of Is There Life After Chocolate? and Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times, 21 Activities. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland. Laurie McGaw has illustrated many books for children, including African Princess, The Illustrated Father Goose, Journey to Ellis Island, Polar the Titanic Bear, Something to Remember Me By, and To Be a Princess. She lives near Toronto, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

"The full-color illustrations ... are photographic in their realism and they capture the personalities and surroundings of both the modern family and the shtetl-dwellers to perfection. .... told in a warm, earnest style.... Librarians will do children, parents, teachers, and clergy a favor by connecting them with this affirmative book."
—Jewish Book World, December 2003

Linda R. Silver

" ... touching and intriguing story... McGaw¹s pictures are flawless....it¹s sure to spark questions about family history and legacies left to future generations."
—ChildrensLit.com, September 2003

Judy Chernak

"... delightful, moving ... teaches how each individual can deeply affect future generations. Exquisite watercolor illustrations...."
—September 25, 2003

The Canadian Jewish News

"The shofar's blasts will be even more meaningful after reading Avram's Gift ... a handsomely illustrated storybook...."
—October 2003

Cleveland Jewish News.com

"Avram's Gift is a Rosh Hashanah story, an immigrant story, and a story about contemporary Jewish life all in one beautifully illustrated chapter book bursting with Yiddishkeit."
—Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter February/March 2004 Reviewed by Temple Israel, West Bloomfield, Michigan

Rachel Erlich Kamin

"A 2003 Notable Book for Younger Readers"
—January 16, 2004

Association of Jewish Libraries

How many of us have seen a portrait or photograph of some historical figure or ancestor with the stern look and long beard sported in those bygone days? And how many of us have recoiled, not knowing anything about the person portrayed except that we didn't like him? Mark has had a similar feeling since his earliest childhood towards his great-great-grandfather Avram, for whom he is named. And, worse luck, that scary picture is slated to hang in the hallway right outside his bedroom in the new home that is almost built. By contrast, Mark really loves his grandfather Morris, who will soon be coming for Rosh Hashanah. How Mark learns about his grandfather's love for his own grandfather, the Avram in the picture, and about the gift he received from him as a young man leaving Europe for the New World, is a touching and intriguing story. The holiday traditions are nicely woven into the story of two Avrams, the old country one and the present day one, and tie together with Mark's dream of becoming a really good shofar blower in the synagogue. Artist McGaw's pictures are flawless—one could step right into them and feel at home. Set in the author's hometown in suburban Washington, D. C. and with ties to her original home in Baltimore, MD, the book is filled with references to details that keep the story authentic and nostalgic at the same time. A wonderful choice for those long holiday afternoons, the book is sure to spark questions about family history and legacies left to future generations. 2003, MB Publishing, Ages 8 to 11.
— Judy Chernak

Children's Literature