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Title: Mrs. Katz and Tush by PATRICIA POLACCO ISBN: 0-440-40936-5 Publisher: Yearling Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.83 (6 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A wonderful story, even if the illos have some bloopers...
Comment: This is the story of a loving friendship between an elderly Jewish lady from Poland named Mrs. Katz, and an African-American child named Larnel. Mrs. Katz lives alone in her apartment and doesn't have anyone to visit her. (It's not stated in the book, but, since this appears to be a predominantly African-American inner city neighborhood, one wonders if she was left behind by the Jewish community when the more affluent members moved to the suburbs? In real life it has happened...) Larnel's mother stops by to visit her every other day or so, and brings Larnel with her.
One day, Larnel gets the idea to give Mrs. Katz a kitten from the litter that was born in the basement of his apartment building. (Get the pun -- Katz/cats? Actually, the name "Katz" has nothing to do with "cats," but it's cute anyway.) Mrs. Katz names the kitten Tush, which is Yiddish for "bottom," because it has no tail. Larnel agrees to help her care for Tush, and from this sharing, a lifelong friendship grows.
The story is well-written, the characters are well-developed and "real." The illustrations are vibrant, beautifully done, and ethnically accurate. Well, almost. There are a couple Jewish bloopers. For one thing, the menorah sitting by Mrs. Katz's window only has seven branches. A Hanukkah menorah has nine -- eight for the eight days plus an extra for the "servant" candle. The seven-branched menorah mentioned in the Bible was specifically for the Jerusalem Temple, and is not usually found in the home. Since Hanukkah was mentioned in the story, I have to assume that this was supposed to be a Hanukkah menorah.
The second blooper is the scene in the bakery. Mrs. Katz is shopping for PASSOVER -- a time when no leaven is to be found anywhere in a Jewish home. It is not just a matter of eating matzoh. The entire house is cleaned of anything even resembling leaven, and even owning leavened products is forbidden. That being the case, why is she shopping for her Passover feast in a bakery, of all places? She is clearly pointing at a cake or some rolls, and these would NOT be served on Passover! So nu, maybe she's a Reform Jew and not so strict? But in that case, why is that very Hasidic-looking gentleman in the corner shopping there? Surely HE would not serve bread for Passover! (...)
These are relatively minor quibbles, given the overall good quality of the book. But when it comes to children's books, I insist on total accuracy with regard to Judaism, because these are the images that will stick in the mind for years to come. Granted, this is not a "Jewish" book per se, it's a multicultural book -- which is all the more reason to pay more attention to the Jewish details, lest the reader(s) be misled. For the bloopers I'm docking it a star, but it's still a great story and I highly recommend it to both Jews and gentiles.
Rating: 5
Summary: Diversity in its finest
Comment: Ms. Katz and Tush is an excellent choice for educators and parents to use when explaining diversity.
In the book, a young boy is introduced to an elderly jewish woman through his mother. The boy develops a bond with the elderly lady, and the two are friends forever.
This book enables children to develop an understanding about life in different cultures. It shows them that different is good and you can learn a lot from someone of a different culture.
Rating: 5
Summary: How to be a mensch
Comment: I have read this schmaltzy tale of friendship bridging two cultures dozens of times. Not once have I finished it with dry eyes. This is the stuff that dreams are made of.
Mrs. Katz, a widowed old woman befriended Larnel Moore, a young boy. She gifted him with Yiddishisms-and good cooking. "Kugel! Such a kugel I baked for you today." She also gave a heart as warm as the sweater she knitted for him.
In turn, Larnel also performed many mitzvot (good deeds). Mrs. Katz needed a friend. He became that friend. He gave her a cat, too, for when he couldn't be there. Mrs. Katz took the kitty, who reminded her of her Myron, who was ugly as a child, too, "but such a person!" She named the kitty Tush, Yiddish for 'behind,' because she had no tail. When the cat escaped through an open window, Larnel did everything to find her. His everything included prayers.
Larnel became a grandchild to Mrs. Katz, and she his grandmother. Everything else is commentary.
Each child enriched by this joyous tale of sharing and kindness will come that much closer to being a mensch (a good person). Such a person! Alyssa A. Lappen
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Title: The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco ISBN: 0689844476 Publisher: Aladdin Library Pub. Date: 03 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco, Edward Miller ISBN: 0698116151 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: February, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco ISBN: 0689820364 Publisher: Aladdin Library Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco ISBN: 0698115813 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: September, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: I Can Hear the Sun: A Modern Myth (Picture Puffins) by Patricia Polacco ISBN: 069811857X Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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