When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw and Other Stories

One hopes that a book of folk stories will bring interest and enjoyment across a culture. Certainly the librarians awarding the 1969 Newbery awards believed this book of stories bridged cultures, but I'm not sure it does so well. I preferred Zlata the Goat (also a Newbery Honor winner), which seemed to have more accessible stories, without flattening the original culture. This book isn't as successful. I suppose my reaction is probably influenced by an editorial decision to put the worst story first in the book. It's not a bad book of stories, but it's not great, and probably will fade in the memory of most who read it. If you do read the book, start with the last story and work your way to the front.

Isaac Bashevis Singer's "When Shlemiel went to Warsaw" is a collection of 8 stories about the hapless denizens of a town called Chelm. They are sweet and humorous stories written with affection and wit.

In this collection of short stories, there is a mix of retellings of tales his mother told him as a child and ones that Singer created. The retellings are benign tales of tricksters, the foolish elders of the Polish village of Chelm, and the gullibility of poor Shlemiel. The stories that Singer made up are more reflective of his character and interests. There is the imposition of fate on imps, the complicated relationship between a rabbi and the local witch, vegetarianism, miracle workers, and fantastic dreams of other realities. The book was named a Newbery Honor Book.

This is one of my favorite comical books of all time. I love the Shlemiel stories and have read this collection several times...

From my comment for the discussion in the Children's Books group:

Again, like last year's honor book by Singer, not to my taste... and I don't understand the appeal to either the Committee or to children. I'm not particularly enamored with tales of the fools of Chelm, or with the others that kinda resembled parables.

The jacket of the edition that I read on openlibrary claims that they have universal appeal, but I do think that children raised with Jewish heritage would appreciate them more.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/21440520-the-newbery-honor-books-from-1969-...

Three Chelm stories and others.

the children of chelm