Miriam's tambourine : Jewish folktales from around the world /

A collection of 50 tales derived from diverse sources and ranging from the apocrypha to the Hebrew Bible and the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds to oral texts recorded in modern Israel from narrators of different ethnic groups. In between these poles in time, other sources include folk books from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, Hasidic legend collections, Yiddish tales published in the 20th century in Eastern Europe and the US, and one text from the Thousand and One Nights. Except for two translations of unpublished tales from the Israel Folklore Archives (IFA), all other oral tales have been published in Hebrew during the past 20 years. The annotation to tales is not uniform in quality. In some cases the editor offers reference only to primary source; in others he extends his notes, citing comparative references; and in still others he indulges in personal literary interpretation. As in his previous volume of Jewish tales, Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales (1983), the translated tales are retold and represent a range of fidelity to the original text, often attempting to make the tales more intelligible to a wider range of readership. Not for academic libraries.-D. Ben-Amos, University of Pennsylvania

Jewish folktales from around the world are retold with a simple power and accompanied by extensive (though unobtrusive) notes. (Ja 1 87)

Most of the themes in this collection are universalthey include wisdom, foolishness, resourcefulness, love, and courageand the magicians and princesses are familiar, even when a holy rabbi cuts an odd figure as a hero. What gives these tales a characteristically Jewish shape is the moral dimension of their informing faith. Not luck but divine guidance assures the success of the underdog: poverty and persecution are overcome by asserting the ultimate purpose of life. There are several strong female ``saviors'' but no Chelm-type fools, and conventional fairytales rub shoulders with didactic ``midrash.'' Source notes and commentary help eludicate the sometimes abstruse references. Recommended. Patricia Dooley, formerly with English Dept., Drexel Univ., Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.