Linda Elovitz Marshall raised her four children, a small flock of
sheep, lots of zucchinis and countless rabbits in a historic
farmhouse overlooking the Hudson River in upstate New York. A
graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University, she has, in
addition to writing and farming, taught early childhood and
parenting education, owned a bookstore. Her previous books include
Talia and the Rude Vegetables and Talia and the Very YUM
Kippur.
Ag Jatkowska was born in Gdansk, Poland. She graduated from the
Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk with an MA in Graphic Design and
Illustration. She lives in Bath, England.
Can sewing make magic?
Yes, if it's done by kind-hearted Grandma Rose. Every day she sews,
and every day she saves to buy a beautiful set of dishes, just like
the ones her grandmother used on Shabbos. She sews for everyone: a
skirt for Mrs. Feldman, a blue tablecloth for Mrs. Cooper, a hat
for Mrs. Segal and a shirt for Mr. Cohen. For each item, she
stitches something extra (rose-shaped buttons for the skirt, a set
of napkins for the tablecloth and so on), as if by magic. When her
jar of coins reaches $200, she goes to the store to buy the pretty
pink-and-red-rose dishes with blue-and-gold trim. Oh no, the
department store does not have them! Sadly, she uses her money to
buy food for a special meal and returns home. Surprise! Each of the
people for whom she sewed is there, holding a piece of her beloved
china. The attractive illustrations (reminiscent of Emma Chichester
Clark) add Jewish references to situate the story firmly within its
community.
A well-stitched tale about generosity for people of all faiths.
--Kirkus Reviews -- "Journal"
Grandma Rose loves to sew and has over the years brought joy into
the lives of many people in her community. With a needle, some
thread, and a piece of cloth she makes magic in the form of dresses
for girls, slacks for boys, curtains and quilts, dolls for
grandchildren, tablecloths, and much more. Her dream is to save
enough money so that one day she can purchase a set of beautiful
dishes with pink and red roses and blue trim.
As we were reading this heart-warming story written by Linda
Elovitz Marshall for children ages 3 to 8 years old, we thought of
all the love that goes into the craft of sewing and how it creates
connections between people. For Grandma Rose it is a major part of
her day and provides a source of personal renewal and service to
others. --Spirituality & Practice -- "Blog"
What goes around comes around arrives in a sweet way in the form of
a sewing grandmother who always does something extra. Her mitzvot
(good deeds) do not go unnoticed, supporting the surprise ending.
Grandma Rose sews for young and old: clothes, blankets, table
cloths, dolls. She saves her money to buy a set of Shabbat china
dishes, just like the ones she used at her grandmother's as a girl.
Her coin jar fills, the bank converts the coins to dollars, but
alas, when she arrives at the department store, all the dishes have
been sold. On the way home, Grandma Rose markets to prepare a
banquet meal to ease her sadness. When she enters her home, there
are all her family, friends and customers each--drum roll!--with a
piece of the long sought china purposely purchased to say 'thank
you.' Ah that the world were so full of innocent gratitude and
memory. But why not let a youngster relish this idea as a spur to
good deeds? The magic of the sewing is more than the product; it is
the joy of that extra kindness. The dialogue is sprightly if a
little too 'by gosh, by golly'; the illustrations deliver pert,
pleased, happy people. There is bare bones overt Jewish content:
customers with Jewish names, mention of 'Shabbos, ' and one picture
of a Shabbat dinner. However, the value of tikkun olam (repairing
the world) jumps off every page. If this is what magical sewing can
accomplish, hooray for that stitch in time!--Association of Jewish
Libraries -- "Magazine"
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