Oy Gevalt! (Oh No!) It's Friday and shabbos (sabbath) is only hours away! Bubbe Judy (grandmother) wants to serve gefilte fish to the family at dinner, but she cannot open the jar! Zayde (grandfather) tries, and it still won't open. So Zayde, Bubbe Judy, grandson Jack, (a boychik (a sweet boy)), and his little dog take the jar to a mechanic, a dentist, a doctor, an inventor, and to everybody they know! But still the jar won't open and it is giving them tsuris (woe).
Authors Allison and Wayne Marks use simple rhyme sprinkled with Yiddish to tell their story, which makes it easier for children to remember the words after reading it, or hearing it read out loud. Renee Andriani's illustrations are cozy, modern and relatable. For example, if a child does not understand the description of the inventor who could not open the jar with his machine (called "Old Gus"), then he or she may grasp the story through the illustration of the disheveled, very alarmed cat and dog sitting near the soot-covered inventor.
This book is a wonderful introduction to Yiddish and the comforting way it is used and spoken in many Jewish families around the world. It is also a beautiful reminder for Jewish and non-Jewish children that Jewish culture and tradition are very much a part of American culture and will remain so. A Gefite Fishy Tale deserves a place in every school library.
(In exchange for an honest review, I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)
Paperback: 50 pages
Publisher: MB Publishing, LLC; 1 edition (August 28, 2016)
