A mob tries to attack the Jewish ghetto and the Golem destroys it, striking fear into the hearts of the emperor, who promises safety for the Jews if the monster is destroyed. The Golem finds himself enchanted with life and the world around him, but his only purpose is to fight the enemies of the Jews. Rabbi Loew had a dream telling him how to create the Golem and how it could protect his people. Jews were being persecuted, being accused of using the blood of Christian children to bake their bread, and these lies were inciting violence against them. Summary: The story of the Golem takes place in Prague in 1580. Readers annotation: When the Jewish people are threatened with violence, the only thing that can stop them is the terrible Golem. Although SLJ spoke positively of this book, it compared it to another Caldecott book on the same subject, saying, “while the plot is stronger Wisniewski’s text lacks the power and child appeal of McDermott’s spare, well-crafted tale”. Kirkus mentions the added layer of depth that Wisniewski gives to his Golem that is reminiscent of Shelley’s treatment of her monster.
Publisher’s Weekly likens this effect to an eerie puppet show. Reviews: Booklist, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly all gave this title favorable reviews, most often citing the beauty of the illustrations and their ability to set a stark and dramatic effect of the cut-paper artwork. More information can be found at the HarperCollins website. Once he and his wife had children, traveling with the puppet show became impossible and he turned his artistic talents to writing and illustrating children’s books. When he was older, he joined the circus as a clown and met his wife when she hired him to perform in a puppet theater.
When he was young, his mother taught him how to draw, which instilled in him a lifelong love of art. Author information: David Wisniewski (1953-2002) wrote and illustrated many children’s books using his cut-paper method.
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