Rachel's Gift Book

Named a 2003 Notable Book for Young Readers by The Association of Jewish Libraries

Spring has come to the little town of Chelm and everyone is busy making things clean and fresh for Passover. At Rachel’s home, a special gift has arrived: Bubbie from Bialystok has sent along her recipe for Bubbie’s Own Matzo Ball Soup. Rachel’s mother is thrilled. Maybe the fragrance of the soup will lure Elijah the Prophet to their home and he will bestow good fortune on them.

The soup is indeed wonderful, and soon it draws the neighbors. But none of these everyday folk could possibly be the great prophet. Or could they? As in Rachel Captures the Moon, the solution lies in the hands of a loving child.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-As Passover approaches, Rachel's mother plans to make the best soup in the world to woo Elijah the Prophet and reap a rich reward. Using Bubbie's secret and not very helpful recipe, she begins to cook, and the aroma attracts many visitors with helpful hints of their own. In the end, it is Rachel's gift of kindness to an old man that brings a reward that is more than money. Although this tale lacks the outright silliness of many of the Chelm stories, the "lesson" is accompanied by lively action and smooth prose. The rich watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations in the style of folk art capture the European village setting, and the reds, yellows, and oranges add to the warmth of the tale. A companion to Ungar's Rachel Captures the Moon (Tundra, 2001), the book is "inspired by the story `The Magician' by I. L. Peretz." A welcome addition to Jewish folklore shelves.-Amy Kellman, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.