The Magic Pot. Sharon Abron Drache. Illustrated by Ellen Schowalter. Ottawa, ON: L’Dor Vador Publications (P.O. Box 4402, Station E, K1S 5B4), 2003. 32 pp., pbk., $9.95. ISBN 0-9732967-0-4. Kindergarten-grade 3 / Ages 5-8. Review by Harriet Zaidman. ** /4

excerpt:

Bubbe Malke was so short. When Rifkeh turned seven, she was almost as tall as her grandmother whose body and shrunk from an illness called arthritis.

Bubbe had wrinkles, not because she was old, but because for long hours she sat under a hot sun lamp to help her aches and pains. Her brownish-grey hair was as thin as a spider's web. Sometimes, Rifkeh could see pink marks like tiny butterflies dotting Bubbe's skin.

The Magic Pot is the story of a young girl whose maturity makes her see that her adored bubbe (grandmother) is really terribly poor. Rifkeh's gift of a necklace to Bubbe Malke creates a magical turn of events: the diminutive arthritic old woman grows tall and beautiful, the modest furniture becomes regal, and the modest fricassee supper becomes a thick, rich, chicken stew.

     Riches are not measured in money alone, as the love between Rifkeh and her Bubbe shows, and even the most modest gift enriches. Bubbe Malke is overwhelmed with the thought and generosity of her little granddaughter.

     The basis of The Magic Pot is a positive message of love and relationships between generations. That being said, there are problems in the premise and structure of the story that make it difficult to discern where the story is heading. The first five pages relate the particularities of Bubbe's chronic health problems and the difficult circumstances in which Bubbe and Zayde (he never appears in the story) live. Rifkeh doesn't notice these problems, which the author finds necessary to inform the reader. One is left wondering about Zayde's role; if he isn't going to participate in the plot of a picture book, he should not be mentioned. Similarly, Rifkeh's parents drop her off at Bubbe Malke's house and then disappear. They should disappear from the plot.

     When Rifkeh arrives at Bubbe's with a gift, Bubbe tells her that she should save her money for the pushke. The purpose of the pushke (a collection box for charity) is never explained. The gift of the necklace is obviously meaningful to Bubbe, but there has been no foreshadowing that the dove pendant will be a magical instrument or why it has these qualities. Introducing magic into a story must be a natural extension of unusual incidents in the plot or characters that have displayed unusual qualities; otherwise it becomes a device ex machina to rescue the story from being bogged down. The transition of the story from Rifkeh's acceptance of her bubbe's existence to her realization of her financial difficulties is forced; the reader should draw conclusions by observing Rifkeh's thoughts and actions.

     The author has included a lot of detail of the bubbe's life and the life of a Jewish immigrant household in Toronto the 1950's. However, the pictures, except for the chrome kitchen chair, do not clearly indicate the decade.

     To succeed as a picture book, the story should be simplified (a lot of the detail and digressions removed) and more attention be paid to Rifkeh's character development. A longer version of this story, which could then be read to younger children, would work even better. It would enable the author to elaborate on Jewish traditions and life and show Rifkeh's psychological growth. It would allow Drache the opportunity to draw the readers back to the time in which the story is set and convey the depth of the relationship between the principal characters. A longer story would justify the inclusion of the specific diseases which plague the bubbe, the description of the neighbourhood, the cat, the pushke, etc. Her intentions are laudable, and the premise for the story is plausible. It needs a stronger focus.

     Ellen Schowalter's simple illustrations reflect Rifkeh's ideals for her grandmother but lack the technical standard that we have come to expect in today's children's picture books.

     The title of the book is The Magic Pot, but it is the pendant that is the catalyst for change in the story. The pot is one of the several things that are transformed when Bubbe dons the pendant.

     The Magic Pot can be read to young children but will require adult involvement for them to appreciate the message the author wants to convey.

Recommended with Reservations.

Harriet Zaidman is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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