A Mountain of Blintzes Book

Each spring Sarah, Max, and their children look forward to celebrating Shavuot with a mountain of delicious blintzes. But this year Sarah and Max are worried. Their pockets are empty, and with no extra money to spare, how can they afford to make a special treat like blintzes?
Join Barbara Diamond Goldin's funny, big-hearted family in preparation for Shavuot, the Jewish holiday celebrating the day Moses received the Ten Commandments, and discover—as they do in a way that's sure to spark giggles—the true meaning of cooperation.

Children's Literature

Shavuot is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the day Moses received the Ten Commandments. Goldin has provided a variation on a traditional Shavuot story from Chelm and moved the setting to the Catskill Mountains. This family works hard, but they don't have a lot of material things and no money to spare. Sarah and Maxie decide that they will do a little extra and contribute to the coin box so they can buy the ingredients for blintzes. As the story goes, each assumes that the other is adding coins to the box but neither does. Their wise children have spent the time doing a little extra and bartered their services for the ingredients to make the blintzes. The charming watercolors add to the humor and the family looks a little bit like the kids you might see in a book by Shirley Hughes—not perfectly groomed or attired. At the end of the story there is a recipe for creating your own mountain of blintzes. The "mountain" of blintzes reminds readers that Moses climbed a mountain to meet God. The author's note explains why she made a change in setting for this story and why blintzes and other dairy foods are eaten on this holiday. 2001, Harcourt, . Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot