FICTION

The Parakeet Named Dreidel

by Isaac Bashevis SINGER
illus. by Suzanne Raphael Berkson. 32p. Farrar. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780374300944.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3—In this picture book version of a story first published by Singer as part of a collection, a father relates the story of the time, 10 years ago, that his young son David rescued a parakeet that appeared on their snowy windowsill on the last evening of Hanukkah. Dreidel, as the family named him, is a friendly, tame bird that even speaks a bit of Yiddish ("Zeldele, go to sleep"); the family is overjoyed when no one answers any of their notices advertising a lost bird. Ten years go by, with Dreidel a beloved family member, and then David goes off to college—where he tells the story of Dreidel at a party and a young woman exclaims, "I am this Zeldele!" David and Zelda get married and Dreidel the matchmaker goes off to live with them.
VERDICT Friendly cartoon watercolor illustrations and the father's warm, understated narration make this a wonderful choice for a family lapsit and a read-aloud over the holiday season or anytime.—Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Reviewed by the art emphasizes his son David, who is a child for most of the story (and, when he's older, benefits from Dreidel's matchmaking skills). This feels like a story a reminiscent zayde might share. Lots of golden light in the cheerful, loose-lined illustrations creates a sense of Hanukkah's warmth. Shoshana Flax
, Oct 01, 2015

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