Clever Rachel
by Debby Waldman
illustrated by Cindy Revell
- Short-listed, SYRCA Shining Willow nominee
- Commended, Resource Links "The Year's Best"
"In this retelling of a Jewish folktale, Jacob tries to stump Rachel with his best riddles but fails repeatedly. When a young woman in need of help presents Rachel and Jacob with the trickiest riddles of all, they discover the only way to solve them is to work together."
close this panel"A vibrant book that tells a story that will entertain and educate young children about cooperation and teamwork Waldman maintains the beautiful flavour of the folktale using simple and colourful language 32 pages of sheer delight."
"This would be a useful book to use during a multicultural or folktale lesson, or as a way to segue into the topic of riddles."
"This book is absolutely charming and concisely written. It's full of the kind of Jewish values parents want their children to absorb from a very young age: work hard, do your best, cooperate Any child old enough for a book with real pages will love this story and especially the page at the end with riddles they can use to stump their friends."
"A riddle wrapped in old-fashioned, homespun wisdom Revell's folksy illustrations beautifully complement this simply told story There is a whimsical, timeless quality to each sketch."
"A delightful story in which readers will like figuring out the riddles with Rachel and Jacob."
"A pleasure to read aloud. The main characters are made vivid by their rich language and inner thoughts Children will be attracted to the folk-art vitality on every page."
"[The] acrylic illustrations are reflective of the warm, fireside setting of the story Revell's characters have evocative, believable facial expressions which add detail and drama to the story."
"The illustrations are bold and whimsical and the text is very entertaining with a feminist slant There is even a page of riddles to test one's power of deductive reasoning at the conclusion of the book."
"Colourfully illustrated in acrylics The lesson here is that while individual excellence should be encouraged, cooperation is the only path to wisdom."
"Waldman writes with tongue-in-cheek, understated humour and includes riddles galore in her story...Facial expressions and body language are particularly clever and telling in Cindy Revell's full-colour acrylic illustrations...A sparkling collaboration between the Alberta-based author and illustrator. Bravo!"
[Starred review] "The pairing of the author and illustrator to bring another Jewish folktale...to read-aloud format works wonderfully. The children in the story help solve many riddles and teach the reader about pride, wisdom, and teamwork. Sprinkled throughout are Jewish values and Yiddish terms that teach culture in an unimposing way. Highly recommended."
"This enchanting retelling of a Jewish folktale is laced with riddles that children will enjoy trying to solve...The warm acrylic folk art illustrations do much to enhance this delightful story that provides a glimpse of rich Jewish culture."
