(3) K-3 Illustrated by Aaron Jasinski. Rabbi Judah needs help preparing for Hanukkah, so he allows his housemaid to enlist the aid of the Golem. She doesn't follow the Rabbi's warnings, though, and the Golem gets out of control while making latkes. Kimmel's entertaining retelling was inspired by versions of the Golem legend and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Jasinski's acrylic illustrations show a creature that's both friendly and a little creepy.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Valeria Docampo. Medio Pollito is a chicken with one leg, one eye, etc. In this adaptation of a well-known Spanish folktale, the chick sets out to see the king, helping the stream, fire, and wind along the way. They, in turn, save him from becoming chicken soup. As usual, Kimmel's retelling, accompanied by Docampo's spirited acrylic and pencil illustrations, is perfect for reading aloud.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Kimmel adapts a Yemenite story to the traditional Arabic "Joha" motif concerning a wise fool. Joha finds a wishing stick on his way to Baghdad. Unfortunately, it works by contraries. Kimmel narrates with his usual wit and panache, nicely extended in Rayyan's watercolor illustrations, where humorously exaggerated characters are realized in tastefully muted colors while the action bursts energetically from elegant frames.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2010

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jill Weber. Where does the rabbi disappear to during the days before Rosh Hashanah? His congregants think he visits heaven to intercede for them with God. When a skeptic comes to town, he follows the rabbi and learns of his true (earthly) good deeds. Kimmel's lively adaptation of the I. L. Peretz tale is well matched by Weber's spirited, child-friendly mixed-media illustrations.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Martha Aviles. Kimmel transports the Grimms' fairy tale "The Fisherman and His Wife" to the culture of the ancient Aztecs. The conversational text and unfussy acrylic and liquid watercolor illustrations balance humor and off-handed casualness with historical accuracy. As usual with Kimmel's folktale retellings, this would be useful for reading aloud during storytimes and library programs.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher. Don't be fooled by the title, which suggests a sequel: this is a straightforward (if wordy) retelling of Washington Irving's classic cautionary tale about the dangers of lazing one's life away (although Kimmel does give Rip the opportunity to redeem himself). The accompanying paintings, with key characters and objects smartly outlined in black, are historically accurate.

Reviewer: Nell Beram