Zhen Yu and the Snake

by Erica Lyons, Renia Metallinou (Illustrator)

Overview

In long ago China, a girl named Zhen Yu wanders away from her father at a busy market. A mysterious fortune teller helps Zhen Yu’s father find her, but also warns him that one day his daughter will be bitten by a snake on her wedding night. Years later, as Zhen Yu is dressing for her wedding, a knock comes on the door. Although it is her wedding day, she is not too busy to show kindness to a stranger. She opens the door, sticking her hairpin into the silk wall, unknowingly killing the lurking snake that the fortune teller had foretold. “It was the mitzvah of giving to the poor that kept you safe,” says her father. Based on the Talmudic tale of Rabbi Akiva’s daughter and a snake.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728460253
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Erica Lyons is chair of the Hong Kong Jewish Historical Society and is the Hong Kong Delegate to World Jewish Congress. She's also the founder and manager of PJ Library Hong Kong. She lives in Hong Kong.

Renia Metallinou studied graphic design in the Athenian Design College. She works in pencil, ink, and digital media as well as gouache, watercolors, and collage. She lives in Greece.

Editorial Reviews

2023-06-08
In this retelling of the Talmudic tale of Rabbi Akiva’s daughter, a prophecy foretells that a young woman will be bitten by a snake.

Long ago, Zhen Yu’s Jewish ancestors traveled the Silk Road and settled in Kaifeng, China, where they were welcomed into the community. One morning, a young Zhen Yu and her father, Li Jian, set off to Earth Market Street to buy food for Shabbat. A jade seller’s shiny wares catch Zhen Yu’s attention, and soon Li Jian realizes that she is no longer by his side. Distraught, Li Jian runs smack into the elderly Great Fortune-Teller of Chengdu, who clues Li Jian in as to Zhen Yu’s whereabouts—and warns him that on her wedding night, she will be bitten by a snake. Years later, Zhen Yu is to be married, but her willingness to help a beggar (“the mitzvah of giving to the poor”) sets into motion an event that saves her life. Set in 12th-century China, Lyons’ version of the story highlights the history of the Jews in that region. In this retelling, Li Jian does not believe the fortuneteller (“the Jewish people had their own traditions”) but is nonetheless worried. Metallinou’s art, with bold accents, complement Lyons’ narrative, and attentive readers will pick up on the beggar’s resemblance to the fortuneteller and recurring snake motifs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A novel take on a traditional tale. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews