The Day the Rabbi Disappeared: Jewish Holiday Tales of Magic

Noted storyteller Schwartz (Next Year in Jerusalem) outdoes himself in this expertly presented and well-conceived collection. Each of the dozen tales takes place during a different Jewish holiday, from Rosh Hashanah and Lag ba-Omer to the major festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot) and the Sabbath, and each reveals different facets of Jewish history and culture. To an already rich mixture, Schwartz brings extra luster with an element virtually guaranteed to hook young readers: magic. In an Afghan tale for Yom Kippur, a man stumbles upon a cottage filled with blazing oil candles, each representing a person's soul and its presence in the world. Some have plenty of oil, some are nearly emptyDthe man's own candle seems about to burn out and, since the keeper of the candles is not looking, what if he takes some oil from another candle? The supplementary material included with each story proves nearly as gripping. For that Yom Kippur story, for example, Schwartz follows up with a concise description of the holiday and succinct discussions of the story's specific biblical roots, the possible identity of the keeper of the candles, the theme of divine tests (e.g., the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden) and the Jewish idea of justice. Debut illustrator Passicot contributes dreamlike compositions in black and white. The play between light and dark in her subtle shading beautifully expresses the tales' mystical dimensions. Ages 8-up. (Aug.)