Golem

Wisniewski. D (1996). Golem. New York Clarion Books

Golem is a story set in Prague and is about persecution of Jews and other people because of their religious beliefs. A rabbi created a giant made out of clay to protect the Jews. The giant was made for only one purpose and then was destroyed. I choose this book because it is a very dramatic picture book in which the illustrations help to tell the story. The conflict in the story is person-vs-person.

The illustrations are done by David Wisniewski the author and are very abstract. The illustrations look as if they are collages of paper placed on the page. I believe the darker tones and texture of the illustrations help to capture the intense mood of the story and help to convey the author’s purpose. This story has a very strong plot that could be too intense for younger readers. I would probably feel more comfortable reading this to older students rather than primary because the content and storyline might be hard for them to understand. Some of the vocabulary would also be very difficult for younger readers. This story would be good for older readers to discuss author’s purpose, plot, and conflict.

Questions:

Did the rabbi do more harm than good by creating Golem?

What is fair for the rabbi to create Golem then destroy him?