Feivel's Flying Horses

by Heidi Smith Hyde Narrated by Intuitive

Overview

A loving father carves carousel horses that represent members of his family as he saves money to bring them from Europe to America. This book is a work of historical fiction based on the stories of Jewish woodcarvers who came from the Old Country and turned their talents to carving carousel horses on Coney Island.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"As the chief apprentice in Mr. Nathanson's Coney Island carousel shop, Feivel lovingly remembers his wife and children in the old country as he designs and carves wooden horses. He creates a glorious horse with a long, golden mane for his wife, Goldie; a proud, regal beast for his eldest son, Hershel; a gentle creature whose bridle is etched with deer for his son Shmuel; a lively and graceful horse adorned with flowers and ribbons for his daughter Sasha; and a beautiful pony ornamented with hundreds of glittering glass jewels for his baby, Lena. By the time the carousel is complete, Fievel has earned enough money to bring his family to America. When they are finally reunited, the happy family rides the carousel together. The historical note details the contributions of eastern European Jewish immigrants, once wood carvers of synagogue arks and Torah scrolls, who used their talent to create magnificent carousel horses enjoyed by generations of children. Watercolor illustrations with ink lines illustrate the immigrant experience on New York's Lower East Side in the late 1800s and help bring to life the magic of Coney Island. Like this team's Mendel's Accordion (Lerner, 2007), this story celebrates the richness of the Jewish American experience."
--School Library Journal

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Feivel must leave his wife and four children behind when he emigrates from the Old Country to America around the turn of the 20th century. A skilled woodcarver, he finds work as a furniture maker. One day, on an outing to Coney Island, Feivel discovers the wonder of the carousel, along with a sign that a woodcarver is wanted. To his delight, he is hired to carve the horses for the next Coney Island carousel. Singing as he works, he carves a horse that reminds him of each member of the family he left behind. He works hard, rests on the Sabbath, prays in the synagogue, and finishes each horse with the name carved in tiny letters. After three years the carousel is ready. But now that he has saved enough money to bring his family to America, Feivel will wait for the joy of riding the carousel with his family. There is almost a folk art quality to the lively, detailed, single- and double-page ink-and-watercolor scenes. The characters are realistic in their actions; the settings reflect New York and the masses of immigrants of the time. A note adds factual historic background. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

Gr 1–3—As the chief apprentice in Mr. Nathanson's Coney Island carousel shop, Feivel lovingly remembers his wife and children in the old country as he designs and carves wooden horses. He creates a glorious horse with a long, golden mane for his wife, Goldie; a proud, regal beast for his eldest son, Hershel; a gentle creature whose bridle is etched with deer for his son Shmuel; a lively and graceful horse adorned with flowers and ribbons for his daughter Sasha; and a beautiful pony ornamented with hundreds of glittering glass jewels for his baby, Lena. By the time the carousel is complete, Fievel has earned enough money to bring his family to America. When they are finally reunited, the happy family rides the carousel together. The historical note details the contributions of eastern European Jewish immigrants, once wood carvers of synagogue arks and Torah scrolls, who used their talent to create magnificent carousel horses enjoyed by generations of children. Watercolor illustrations with ink lines illustrate the immigrant experience on New York's Lower East Side in the late 1800s and help bring to life the magic of Coney Island. Like this team's Mendel's Accordion (Lerner, 2007), this story celebrates the richness of the Jewish American experience.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Kirkus Reviews

When Feivel, an experienced wood carver, arrives in New York from the old country, he is introduced to the wonders of Brooklyn's new Coney Island amusement park, where he gains employment with the carousel company, making the transition from carving "the fearsome lions that guarded the holy arks in synagogues" in Europe to carousel horses. Over the course of three years he works hard to help create the magnificently ornate wooden horses while earning enough to send for his family. Van der Sterre's ink-lined, full-bleed watercolors of women in long skirts and bonnets accompanied by mustachioed men delineate a wondrous late-19th-century Luna Park with a behind-the-scenes look at artisan craftsmanship in a classic workshop. Hyde adds emotion to her simply told tale with Feivel's loving creation of horse after horse, naming each for his children and their mother. An attractive and unusual look at both a Jewish immigrant's story and a disappearing pastime and trade. (historical note) (Picture book. 5-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171826260
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/15/2019
Series:	American Jewish History
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

Related Subjects

• Kids
• Fiction & Literature - Kids
• People, Places & Cultures - Kids Fiction
• Entertainment & The Arts - Kids Fiction
• General & Miscellaneous - Kids Fiction
• Historical Fiction - Kids
• Occupations - Kids Fiction
• U. S. People, Places & Cultures - Kids Fiction
• Judaism - Kids Fiction
• Religion & Beliefs - Kids Fiction

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