Product Description

What's more precious than rubies, more lasting than gold?

Raisel knows. She learned it from her grandfather, a poor scholar who taught her. When he dies, Raisel finds work in the home of a rabbi. His jealous cook makes Raisel toil from sunup to sundown. And as the Jewish holiday of Purim approaches, Raisel works even harder. The rabbi's son presides over the Purim dinner, and Raisel listens closely when he responds to riddles posed by his guests. Is it possible that this young man can answer Raisel's riddle? Erica Silverman's lively retelling of the Cinderella story features a heroine for whom knowledge is as essential to happiness as love. In striking paintings, Susan Gaber captures all her beauty, external and internal.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #630767 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starring a Jewish orphan in a long-ago Polish village, this colorful, expertly structured variation on Cinderella offers many things: an independent-minded heroine plus a hero attracted by wisdom and virtue; a fairy-tale patina plus old-world ambiance; and a tie-in to Purim that grounds the story without limiting its appeal. Raisel is not immediately recognizable as a Cinderella type. Raised by her grandfather, a poor but devout scholar, she has studied right alongside him. When he dies, she finds work in a faraway village as the helper to a rabbi's cook, a jealous and harsh woman who could rival any evil stepmother. Silverman (Don't Fidget a Feather) maintains impeccable pacing, characterization and once-upon-a-time diction as Raisel catches the eye of the rabbi's learned son, and, through an act of kindness, earns three wishes on Purim. Enter a costume and magical transportation, and the Cinderella parallel pops out, to surprise and delight young readers. Raisel uses her wishes wisely and wins the love of the rabbi's son; unlike Cinderella, this maiden sets a test for her beloved, and it brings the story full-circle to its flavorful beginnings. Gaber (Bit by Bit) underscores the text's emphasis on the characters' inner resources. Her paintings find the warmth in Raisel's companionship with her grandfather, despite the modest surroundings, and they pay more attention to Raisel as a scullery maid than to her appearance in the magical costume. A splendid story, intelligently served. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-In this Jewish holiday variant of the Cinderella story, Raisel, the granddaughter of a learned scholar, uses her wits to win the rabbi's son. After Raisel's grandfather dies, the orphaned girl moves from her Polish village to a large city and goes to work in the kitchen of a rabbi. On the night of the Purim ball, she feeds an old woman who gives her three wishes for her kindness, thus allowing Raisel to attend the ball and tell the rabbi's son a riddle that wins his heart. Using elements from the classic tale and ideas from the Talmud, Silverman crafts a story that teaches the importance of learning while retaining the romance of the fairy tale. The quotes from the Talmud blend in well with the rest of the narration and the themes reappear in the art. Gaber's pictures are uneven, with Raisel looking different from page to page, but at their best, the composition is lovely and the realistic paintings with their smears of bright colors beautifully reflect the emotions of the text. The artist plays with point of view, setting her illustrations at all different angles and distances, some of which are more effective than others. However, as a whole, the book works, and while not a necessary purchase, it will be a welcome addition where more folklore with a Jewish focus is needed.
Amy Lilien, Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
A lovely re-imagining of the Cinderella story, with a fine twist. Raisel lives in a tiny village in Poland with her grandfather, a poor scholar. When Zaydeh dies, Raisel goes to town to seek work and finds it in the kitchen of a famed rabbi. But the cook mistreats her and keeps her from the Purim party. That night, when Raisel gives her supper to an old woman, the beggar grants her three wishes. Raisel, who then goes to the Purim party costumed as Queen Esther and enchants the rabbi's son with her riddle, is wise enough to keep one wish back and uses it for cleaning the kitchen when she returns at midnight. The next day the rabbi's son searches for her, and Raisel, locked in the pantry, calls out her riddle: "What's more precious than rubies, more lasting than gold? / What can never be traded, stolen, or sold? / What comes with great effort and takes time, but then--/ Once yours, will serve you again and again?" The rabbi's son knows the answer, which is "learning," and so they "lived and learned happily ever after." The illustrations in velvety, muted colors make use of strong geometric shapes and varying perspectives: we see Raisel and her Zaydeh through a window studying together; the nasty cook looming over Raisel in the rabbi's kitchen; and dramatic close-ups of Raisel and the beggar woman and a gorgeous one of Raisel dressed as Queen Esther with the rabbi's son. This universal story fits into its Jewish milieu as neatly as a key in a lock. GraceAnne A. DeCandido

Customer Reviews

Raisel's Riddle
Raisel's Riddle is a story that gives profound meaning to the Cinderella fairy tale , Jewish-style. Instead of beauty being the criterion for selection of a wife, Raisel's intelligence and knowledge are the "charms" that win the heart of "Prince Charming," who in this story is a rabbi's son. Another irony is that instead of the woman having to pass the test of beauty, the man has to pass the test of intelligence and wit before Raisel agrees that he is fit to be her husband. Contrary to the feminist critique that Judaism is a system of patriarchal domination, including the idea that girls are not to be taught sacred lore in the same way as boys, Raisel, an orphan, grows up in the home of her grandfather, a Judaic scholar, who teaches her Torah and Talmud. "Get thyself at once to Amazon.com and buy this book." It is endearing and heartwarming.
Rabbi Fred V. Davidow

Outstanding Jewish Cinderella
This is a Jewish version of the Cinderella story. Far better than the original in my opinion, because instead of something as random as shoe size, the key to discovering the heart-stealer is her riddle and her wisdom. This book stresses the importance of learning and is a wonderful romance at the same time. Beautiful!

Raisel's Riddle
Raisel's Riddle is outstanding because this Cinderella is not concerned with her appearance, nor is the rabbi's son. It is a wonderful twist to have knowledge be the commodity most valued!