The Golem: The Giant Made of Mud - Hardcover

Podwal, Mark

3.67

12 ratings by Goodreads

9780688138110: The Golem: The Giant Made of Mud

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068813811X ISBN 13: 9780688138110

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1995

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A retelling of the Jewish legend of the golem created by the Rabbi to defend the Jews of Prague

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 3 Up?There have been many stories written about the golem?a creature formed from mud or clay in the likeness of man and brought to life by the name of God for the purpose of protecting the Jewish people from an enemy that would destroy them. In most of the tales, the golem, after fulfilling its purpose, goes wild, growing to an enormous size, and must be returned to the lump of clay from which it was made. Although Podwal's version has a historical setting, the inclusion of details culled from a number of golem stories and cabalistic writings is confusing and results in the lack of a strong plot. The stylized paintings are expertly rendered in gouache, colored pencil, and ink. They are garishly colored and feature a dream world of distorted, abstract buildings in which the rabbi and the emperor of the kingdom seem to be the only "real" entities?perhaps indicating the ethereal nature of the tale. This is borne out in a final picture of the city showing a golem-shaped mountain, upon which the buildings have been reconstructed. Beverly McDermott's The Golem (HarperCollins, 1975; o.p.) tells the traditional story of the golem of Prague, resurrected by a wise and pious rabbi when the old rumors of the Jews using the blood of Christian children to bake their Passover matzoh filled him with fear for his people. She crafted her tale in the words of a storyteller and paired it with the powerful, vivid paintings of a master artist. Although neither book is meant for young children, McDermott's is more accessible.?Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Rooted in Jewish folklore and set in Prague, this retelling of a 16th-century legend about a ruler obsessed with alchemy and a rabbi who works magic says much about Podwal's (The Book of Tens) ability to work creatively and respectfully within the folktale tradition. When the Jews of Prague face unbearable persecution, a rabbi reluctantly fashions a Golem, a giant made from mud; the rabbi knows of the Golem's potential for vast destruction, but the Jews need a protector. Both thought-provoking and mystical, this adaptation refuses to shy away from the story's darker aspects. The King's greed-driven madness and his exchanges with the rabbi, the afflictions of the Jews living in the ghetto, the desperate creation of the Golem and the ensuing violence are presented without apology. Rather, Podwal couches his narrative in tightly concentrated imagery. Trees are torn from their roots and tossed to the moon, an evil astrologer wears a silver nose, and the golem wears the "emperor's palace on top of its head like a crown." Although dull brown tones dominate the jacket, the interior art is bright and jewel-toned-in many places the artwork possesses an almost Gauguin-like sunniness, a skillful counterpoint to the shadowy, mythic power of the text. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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