Kopecks for Blintzes

Goldman (Whiskers, Tails, & Wings) and newcomer Batori take readers to the famous, folkloric town of Chelm, renowned for the foolishness of its residents. In this retelling, about how Chelm ended up with 13 commandments instead of the usual 10, a melamed (teacher) named Yankl and his wife, Gitele, agree to place spare kopecks into a trunk each day to save enough money to buy ingredients for blintzes to celebrate Shavuot. Neither spouse ends up putting any kopecks in the trunk, figuring the other’s contributions are sufficient. When the trunk is opened, Yankl and Gitele believe they have been robbed, argue, and get trapped in the trunk, which rolls downhill, disrupts the town, and leads the rabbi to announce three extra commandments. Batori’s caricatured illustrations create a sweetly dimwitted citizenry; in one of the funnier scenes, the sun itself looks on with horror as the trunk careens into town. But even given Chelm’s nonsensical reputation, the added commandments (such as “Thou shalt allow no melamed of Chelm to make blintzes”) are more likely to evoke head-scratching than laughs, resulting in an anticlimactic ending. Ages 3–8. (Apr.)