Rachel's Gift

Author: Richard Ungar
Hardcover: 32 page(s)
Age Range: 7 to 10

Book Description:

Spring has come to the little town of Chelm and everyone is busy making things clean and fresh for Passover. At Rachel-???+-?-+s home, a special gift has arrived: Bubbie from Bialystok has sent along her recipe for Bubbie-???+-?-+s Own Matzo Ball Soup. Rachel-???+-?-+s mother is thrilled. Maybe the fragrance of the soup will lure Elijah the Prophet to their home and he will bestow good fortune on them.

The soup is indeed wonderful, and soon it draws the neighbors. But none of these everyday folk could possibly be the great prophet. Or could they? As in Rachel Captures the Moon, the solution lies in the hands of a loving child.

- Named a 2003 Notable Book for Young Readers by The Association of Jewish Libraries

School Library Journal
As Passover approaches, Rachel's mother plans to make the best soup in the world to woo Elijah the Prophet and reap a rich reward. Using Bubbie's secret and not very helpful recipe, she begins to cook, and the aroma attracts many visitors with helpful hints of their own. In the end, it is Rachel's gift of kindness to an old man that brings a reward that is more than money. Although this tale lacks the outright silliness of many of the Chelm stories, the "lesson" is accompanied by lively action and smooth prose. The rich watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations in the style of folk art capture the European village setting, and the reds, yellows, and oranges add to the warmth of the tale. A companion to Ungar's Rachel Captures the Moon (Tundra, 2001), the book is "inspired by the story `The Magician' by I. L. Peretz." A welcome addition to Jewish folklore shelves.

The Online Jewish Book Community
"With watercolored pencil on paper, Ungar creates Chagall-like illustrations that virtually vibrate with color. He uses them to great effect, drawing us into a magical place at a magical time, and then weaving his magical tale... This is a wonderful book to bring to your Seder table this year...to give as a gift...or just to keep on your own bookshelf for the delight of a well-told tale."

The Toronto Sun
"[a] wholesome tale [that] promotes caring and sharing with light-hearted humour and a rich, intense palette of bright, warm colours... [A]dults and younger kids alike will enjoy looking at Ungar-???+-?-+s whimsical, lively watercolour and coloured pencil illustrations."

Booklist
In this companion to Rachel Captures the Moon (2001), Rachel and her family are preparing for Passover in their village of Chelm. Hoping to lure Elijah the Prophet to their seder, Rachel and her mother decide to make Bubbie of Bialystock's matzoh ball soup. Although they are frustrated by the recipe's inexactness ("just enough onions" and "matzoh balls--made the usual way"), they make do with the ingredients they have on hand, and are pleasantly surprised when the aroma of their soup brings a host of visitors, including one weary traveler who just may be the elusive Elijah. Ungar's brightly colored paintings have an old world aura appropriate to the folkloric setting of the story. Smaller pencil drawings are interspersed throughout the text as well, meshing nicely with the full-color spreads. A natural choice for religious school collections, this will also be welcomed in larger public libraries where demand is high.

In this companion to Rachel Captures the Moon (2001), Rachel and her family are preparing for Passover in their village of Chelm. Hoping to lure Elijah the Prophet to their seder, Rachel and her mother decide to make Bubbie of Bialystock's matzoh ball soup. Although they are frustrated by the recipe's inexactness ("just enough onions" and "matzoh balls--made the usual way"), they make do with the ingredients they have on hand, and are pleasantly surprised when the aroma of their soup brings a host of visitors, including one weary traveler who just may be the elusive Elijah. Ungar's brightly colored paintings have an old world aura appropriate to the folkloric setting of the story. Smaller pencil drawings are interspersed throughout the text as well, meshing nicely with the full-color spreads. A natural choice for religious school collections, this will also be welcomed in larger public libraries where demand is high.