A Cloak for the Moon

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric. A Cloak for the Moon. New York: Holiday House, 2001. Print.

ISBN 0823414930

2. PLOT SUMMARY

After years of gazing at the Moon’s beauty, a tailor by the name of Haskel becomes enthralled with the idea of creating her an exquisite cloak to keep her warm during the cold evenings. As he begins his quest, Haskel runs into a problem. How will he create a suitable garment for a lady whose shape is constantly changing? After questioning this Uncle, a Master tailor, Haskel learns of a mystical thread made of light from his Uncle’s apprentice. Haskel then embarks on a journey to find such a thread. To this day, Haskel can still be seen in the night’s sky, resting alongside his beautiful moon in her exquisite cloak made of light.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is such a charming retelling of a mystical tale by Rabbi Nachman. Kimmel’s writing is elegant enough for an older student to enjoy, but basic enough for an early elementary student to enjoy. He writes in a way that lends itself to the story telling fashion of traditional literature. Even as the story is told, without the artwork, his writing inspires wonderful mental imagery. “ As the beam touched the end of the thread, it began to spin. Before Haskel’s astonished eyes, the beam spun itself into thread, the thread wove itself into cloth, and the hem of the garment began to lengthen.”

While the writing of this traditional tale is lovely, the art that accompanies it really makes the story memorable and takes it to a higher level. Krenina does a fabulous job of bringing out the mystic elements of the story while keeping with the traditional style of art. Every page is filled with vivid colors and illustrations that tell a story of their own. Together, these two elements create a delightful experience.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Expertly pacing the story, Kimmel (previously paired with Krenina for The Magic Dreidels ) embroiders his prose with graceful details, writing of "radiant satins [and] silks like colored water." The exotic trappings will lure readers, replacing Haskel's determination to keep his promise as the central theme of the work. Intermittently embellished by borders and spot art featuring delicate flower motifs, Krenina's gouache art effectively depicts the Middle and Far Eastern settings of the tale, as well as its timeless sensibility.- Publisherweekly.com

5. CONNECTIONS

I love the idea of using traditional tales as a way of connecting a student’s current knowledge of a culture to the new knowledge. I believe that A cloak for the Moon would be a great way to introduce either the Jewish religion and culture or that of Middle Eastern cultures. Another collection of Jewish folktales for that would be good in collation with a Jewish culture theme is The Hungry Clothes and Other Jewish Folktales by Peninnah Schram.