Estie the Mensch

by Jane Kohuth, Rosanne Litzinger (Illustrator)

Overview

Estie does not always like people. So when her grandmother reminds her to be a mensch, she'd rather not. She'd rather be a dog. Or a turtle. Or a seagull. Being a monkey can even make another kid laugh! But it can also make another kid cry, and that's when Estie and her grandmother find out what a mensch Estie can really be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375980077
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	08/23/2011
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jane Kohuth loves to write about goofy animals. She lives in Holliston, Massachusetts.

Rosanne Litzinger is a children’s book illustrator living in Beverly Hills, California. She has illustrated many books, including Estie the Mensch by Jane Kohuth.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-K—"Oy, Estie. Be a mensch" is a phrase all too often repeated by her parents and grandmother when the young girl pulls her coat over her head to hide like a turtle, crawls under the dinner table to hang out with her dog, and pretends to be a seagull, a monkey, a fly, and a tiger during various family gatherings and outings. While the literal translation of the Yiddish word "mensch" is "person," it is understood to mean a good person—a person of integrity who acts with compassion and kindness. When Estie's grandmother takes her to the zoo with her friend and her friend's grandson, Petie enjoys Estie's animal antics. But when his ice cream falls on the ground, Estie shares hers, finally winning the praise of her grandmother as a "real mensch." In the end, Estie realizes that it's not so hard to be a mensch, but she wishes she could be a mensch and a moose. There is a disconnect between the grown-ups' desire for Estie to act, literally, like a person and the conclusion of the story where Estie proves that she can be a real mensch and still use her imagination and creativity. Readers can only hope that the adults came to understand this as well. The illustrations are cheerful, animated, and expressive but some modern Jewish grandmothers might be dismayed by the depiction of elderly gray-haired, bun-wearing bubbies with dowdy clothes and sensible shoes. The pleasant illustrations and Yiddish gimmick can't make up for the slight story line and poorly executed message.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

School Library Journal

Estie would rather be a turtle, dog, tiger, or seagull than a person. "People hogged the best toys at school. People pushed on the train. People wore smelly perfume and asked her questions she didn't know the answer to." But when she crawls under the table and sniffs her family's feet, puts shells in her mouth at the beach, and monkeys around at the market, her mother, father, and grandmother use a Yiddish expression to urge her to change her behavior: "Be a mensch, Estie" (in other words, be a person—a good person). She finally finds an approving audience in chatty Petie, who thinks that it's hilarious when she imitates the animals at the zoo. Kohuth spends most of the book on Estie's animal antics, firmly establishing her heroine's contrarian streak, which makes Estie's last-minute demonstration of mensch-worthy generosity feel like something of an afterthought. But Litzinger's chalky illustrations have a tender, earnest quality, and Estie's red hair and green eyes give her animal impersonations pep in an offbeat story of gentle misbehavior, budding friendship, and close-knit family dynamics. Ages 3–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

PublishersWeekly.com, September 16, 2011:
"Litzinger's chalky illustrations have a tender, earnest quality, and Estie's red hair and green eyes give her animal impersonations pep in an offbeat story of gentle misbehavior, budding friendship, and close-knit family dynamics."

From the Publisher