Appearance
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories
Zlateh the goat and other stories really tells you from the very beginning that the town, Chelm, is a village of fools. There are many stories in here, complete with lovely pencil drawings with great detail to go along with it. He finishes off the book with the story: Zlateh the Goat, just to leave you looking at the book after it's done, and wanting another copy. You might just hug this book to your chest when you're done, and since it has won a medal, that does not only symbolize that it is a great book. It also tells you that the very book you are looking at, about to hold in your hands, will teach you valuable lessons and charming stories.Try it!!!!!! (And a great read aloud, too).
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories
My 9 year old Daughter brought this book from School,when she read to me I fell in Love with it.She asked for it as Christmas present.Fast delivery.Thank you.
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories
I bought this book for my son. His 5th grade class is reading it. He loves it! Great short stories inside.
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories
When Shlemiel went to Warsaw and Zlateh the Goat are both collections of short stories awarded a Newbery Honor in 1969 and 1967 respectively. They were written by Isaac Bashevis Singer, a Jewish author well known for his short stories, who received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Literature.These two collections included several stories that I really enjoyed and many that I didn't much like. Several stories in each book took place in the city of Chelm and mentioned the 7 City Elders (described by the author as fools). One of the residents of that city is Shlemiel, who appears in several stories and is also, undeniably, a fool. Although I like to think I have a sense of humor, and I enjoy a good taste of the ridiculous every now and again, sometimes, it's just a little too much. The two collections contained just a few too many stories dealing with the utter foolishness of these people for me to truly enjoy the reading. To give a quick example, a short story from Zlateh the Goat entitled The Snow in Chelm begins like this:Chelm was a village of fools, fools young and old. One night someone spied the moon reflected in a barrel of water. The people of Chelm imagined it had fallen in. They sealed the barrel so that the moon would not escape. When the barrel was opened in the morning and the moon wasn't there, the villagers decided it had been stolen. They sent for the police, and when the thief couldn't be found, the fools of Chelm cried and moaned.For some, I'm sure these stories would be very enjoyable and amusing tales. However, reading story after story involving more and more absurdities became just a little too much for me. Between the two books, almost half the stories dealt in some way with the preposterous happenings of the residents of Chelm.However, I generally found the stories that did not mention Shlemiel or the Elders (and people) of Chelm to be very entertaining, and often delightful. I especially enjoyed the stories, Rabbi Leib & the Witch Cunegunde, and Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the Miser and the message of Utzel & His Daughter Poverty from Warsaw. My favorites from Zlateh were the stories Fool's Paradise, and Zlateh the Goat. These stories are all clever and well written, often with a warm moral, subtly teaching the reader ways to improve and become better without beating you over the head with the moral.For the most part, I enjoyed reading these stories. It's always nice to get a new look at a culture I know very little about. In the foreward to Warsaw, Singer mentions that while each are retold using his own language and ideas, several of the stories within came from legends and stories told by his mother and grandmother. I love the different folk tales from various cultures, so that was fun. I did enjoy reading these short stories, and am glad I picked them up.
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories
Singer and Sendak are an unbeatable combination. Sendak is amazing in what he can do with pen and ink (no color). I think those who are familiar with Yiddish culture would appreciate these stories more than those who are not.
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories
This book was so awesome. I'll give you my take on just one of the stories (Zlateh the Goat): Singer begins the story by providing a simple yet descriptive setting, so I was able to effortlessly picture it in my mind: a family stricken by poverty in a small, rural village at Hanukkah time, facing a poor harvest. Singer quickly established the father's dilemma and his pathetic solution to sell the goat. He identified the relationship of the family with each other, and their with Zlateh, the trusting goat who allowed herself to be led into the snowstorm.Singer used many adjectives in describing Aaron's journey to town, as it turned from a day of sun into a violent snowstorm. I felt as if I were experiencing the situation myself, as the sunny day quickly turned into darkness and clouds of hail, then snow. The drama of the sudden danger Aaron found himself in was made realistic with the adjectives Singer used. The drama of the story was made more intense as Singer punctuated the story of survival with the descriptions of the goat's expressions, which pulled at my heartstrings even more. He had already made it clear to the audience how trusting the goat was of humans, even as she was led into the harsh conditions of the snowstorm and her trust slowly changed into distrust.Singer allowed the audience to feel the bewilderment of Aaron as he was caught in the sudden snowstorm, then allowed the audience a sense of hope when the haystack was discovered. It was an unpredictable and ironic way that Singer designed Aaron's survival: the goat provided warmth, food, shelter, and love for the boy who leading her to the butcher. Singer brings his readers along with Aaron and the goat with his continued and plentiful use of adjectives. He also uses emotions that are shared by reading audiences from all over the globe, which helps the readers identify with the characters in the story.There was even a little humor toward the first part of the story, as the goat was wondering why she was being led away, then "came to the conclusion that a goat shouldn't ask questions" (Singer, 1966, p. 46). Finally, the story concludes with a happy ending. I loved the way Singer ended the story by painting a picture of the warm stove, the children playing as the Hannukah candles flickered, and the love of the family and the love between Zlateh and Aaron. It was the kind of story that I find comforting and satisfying to curl up with in front of a fire.Every single story in this book is similarly heartwarming, I highly recommend for adults and children alike.