Bagels from Benny
Aubrey Davis, Dusan Petricic (Illustrator), Dusan PetricicBooks.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Benny loves to help out at his grandpa's bakery in the morning, and the customers love the crusty bagels with their soft insides. When Grandpa explains to Benny that God, not him, should be thanked for the wonderful bagels, Benny sets out to do just that. He decides to leave God a bagful of bagels in the synagogue at the end of each week. And each week God eats the bagels — or so Benny thinks—Lovingly told, Bagels from Benny explores the values of caring and sharing, building a strong sense of community and finding joy in giving thanks.
As Benny helps out in his grandfathers's bakery, he also learns some important life lessons.
Synopsis
A lovingly told, compelling story of a young boy learning the values of caring, community and thankfulness.
Publishers Weekly
Davis (previously paired with Petricic for The Enormous Potato) successfully updates a centuries-old Jewish folktale (a traditional version can be found in Barbara Diamond Goldin's memorable Hanukkah anthology, While the Candles Burn). Benny's grandfather bakes wonderful bagels, but teaches Benny that it is God, not him, who should be thanked for them ("Aren't bagels made with flour?"... "Doesn't flour come from wheat?"... "And where does wheat come from?"... "And who made the earth?"... "Then thank God for the bagels"). Benny wants to make sure God knows he's grateful, so he decides to thank Him by stashing a big bag of bagels in the Ark at his synagogue; the bagels disappear, leading Benny to think that God has eaten them, so he repeats his gift every Friday. When Benny learns that a poor man has been eating the bagels, he feels disappointed until his grandfather points out that by helping the poor man, Benny has thanked God ("You made the world a little better"). In creating a child protagonist and introducing an intergenerational element, Davis increases the folktale's accessibility to young readers, and his fluid prose, too, is welcoming. Unfortunately, Petricic's illustrations don't match the warmth of the story. Caricatures distance the audience from the emotions and the action, and a predominantly brown palette, although strategically accented with bright colors, dampens the visual interest. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Jewish Book World
A valuable addition to Judaic and public children’s collections.Publishers Weekly
Davis (previously paired with Petricic for The Enormous Potato) successfully updates a centuries-old Jewish folktale (a traditional version can be found in Barbara Diamond Goldin's memorable Hanukkah anthology, While the Candles Burn). Benny's grandfather bakes wonderful bagels, but teaches Benny that it is God, not him, who should be thanked for them ("Aren't bagels made with flour?"... "Doesn't flour come from wheat?"... "And where does wheat come from?"... "And who made the earth?"... "Then thank God for the bagels"). Benny wants to make sure God knows he's grateful, so he decides to thank Him by stashing a big bag of bagels in the Ark at his synagogue; the bagels disappear, leading Benny to think that God has eaten them, so he repeats his gift every Friday. When Benny learns that a poor man has been eating the bagels, he feels disappointed until his grandfather points out that by helping the poor man, Benny has thanked God ("You made the world a little better"). In creating a child protagonist and introducing an intergenerational element, Davis increases the folktale's accessibility to young readers, and his fluid prose, too, is welcoming. Unfortunately, Petricic's illustrations don't match the warmth of the story. Caricatures distance the audience from the emotions and the action, and a predominantly brown palette, although strategically accented with bright colors, dampens the visual interest. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Benny's grandfather, baker of "the best bagels in town," assures him that God is the one to thank for his good bagels, not him. Pondering how to thank God, Benny decides to take a bag of bagels to the synagogue and put them inside "His Special Box," the Ark. Every Friday he gives bagels to God there, and every Sunday they are gone, so he thinks God must like them. When Grandpa, curious to know what Benny is doing with the bagels, follows him, they both wonder and wait to see what happens. Benny realizes that a poor man has been eating the bagels, and feels that he has failed in his aim. But Grandpa reminds him that he has made the world a little better, and asks "what better thanks could God have?" The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, framed in bagel-like circles, depict Benny's story with emotion and a gentle romanticism, from his initial puzzlement through his enthusiasm to his ultimate satisfaction. Small line drawings on the text pages add details that maintain the thread of the visual narrative. Rooted in an ancient Jewish folk tale from Spain, the tale has become a legend that could provoke discussion beyond Benny's simple faith. 2003, Kids Can Press, Ages 4 to 8.— Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz