Publishers Weekly
01/04/2016
Once upon an ancient time, a “somewhat foolish” young man arrives in Jerusalem to study the Torah, certain that “a truly great teacher could teach me the whole Torah while standing on one foot.” One sage after another scorns him (“Don’t you know there are 613 commandments in the Torah?” shouts one), until he reaches Hillel, the greatest rabbi of all, who distills the Torah into one sentence: “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you,” he says. “The rest is just comments and explanations.” This is an old Jewish fable, and one in which Hillel’s interlocutor is traditionally a contentious Gentile. Glaser (Stone Soup with Matzoh Balls) softens the corners considerably, but she doesn’t blunt the incisive message, and her relatable, well-meaning protagonist’s growing frustration and scowls should remind readers of their own dark moods. Newcomer Balaguer’s dimensional, toylike collages are a treat, filled with clever and even irreverent touches: all the characters’ noses are made from Hebrew texts, and the elders’ beards are fashioned from materials that range from torn brown paper to snippets of mesh. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"This is the story of a young man who challenges the great sage Rabbi Hillel to teach him the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel cleverly responds, 'Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.' That is the whole Torah; 'the rest is just comments and explanations.' This picture book, while not crediting its Talmudic source, is an expansion of that incident, offering motivation for the odd request and showing the student experiencing reciprocal behaviors during his quest for the perfect teacher. The pacing and simple language are well suited to a young audience, and the message is clear without feeling didactic. The collage illustrations are intriguing, if a bit creepy. The characters' noses are covered in Hebrew text, and their hands are photographs of real hands attached to skinny, stretched-out arms. The calm palette and spacious layout somewhat counteract the eerie effect. Bolded text makes the dialogue stand out. VERDICT This excellent introduction to the Golden Rule can be used successfully with Jewish and non-Jewish audiences. Combine with Ilene Cooper's The Golden Rule for a more multicultural approach and Laurie Keller's Do unto Otters for a more playful version." — School Library Journal
School Library Journal
05/01/2016
K-Gr 2—This is the story of a young man who challenges the great sage Rabbi Hillel to teach him the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel cleverly responds, "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you." That is the whole Torah; "the rest is just comments and explanations." This picture book, while not crediting its Talmudic source, is an expansion of that incident, offering motivation for the odd request and showing the student experiencing reciprocal behaviors during his quest for the perfect teacher. The pacing and simple language are well suited to a young audience, and the message is clear without feeling didactic. The collage illustrations are intriguing, if a bit creepy. The characters' noses are covered in Hebrew text, and their hands are photographs of real hands attached to skinny, stretched-out arms. The calm palette and spacious layout somewhat counteract the eerie effect. Bolded text makes the dialogue stand out. VERDICT This excellent introduction to the Golden Rule can be used successfully with Jewish and non-Jewish audiences. Combine with Ilene Cooper's The Golden Rule for a more multicultural approach and Laurie Keller's Do unto Otters for a more playful version.—Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL
Kirkus Reviews
2016-01-09
A Jewish folk tale gets the Peter Jackson treatment in this picture book. The original story—found in the Talmud—is very short. A young man visits two famous rabbis and says that he will convert to their religion if they can teach him everything in the Torah while standing on one foot. The first teacher, Rabbi Shammai, gets angry and chases him away. But Rabbi Hillel says, "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you." Anything else, he says, is commentary. But Glaser has expanded the story to the length of a Hobbit movie. Before the young man reaches Shammai's house, he meets two other rabbis, a bird, and a street full of people, all of whom have morals to teach him. Readers may wonder if the tale really needed that much back story. Balaguer's pictures, on the other hand, add a great deal to the book. A picture of a bird, standing on a branch on one foot, is both graceful and hilarious. The mixed-media images aren't just illustrated, but built, with fragments of Hebrew text worked into the scenes. The young man's journey has a few too many stops along the way, especially for a story about an impatient person. If he'd dawdled less, he could have been there and back again. (Picture book. 5-9)
