Tuvia, a hardworking porter, cannot find any customers. He is reluctant to return home to his hun-gry wife and children without having earned money. How will they be able to buy food? All Tuvia can do is pray. Then, a mysterious older man appears and tells Tuvia that things are about to improve: Seven good years are ahead in which Tuvia and his family will have all their needs mirac-ulously met. At the end of those seven years, the man tells Tuvia, he will return to being the hard-working porter he was before. Tuvia happily shares the news with his wife, and soon, a pile of gold appears in their yard. When the seven years are up, the man visits Tuvia again and sees that his life is much as it was before. Tuvia explains that they have all they need to make life comfortable. They have used a bit of the gold to educate their children, but they’ve decided to give most of it to someone in greater need. Tuvia and his family are rewarded for their goodness; they are granted a life in which their needs, modest as they are, will always be quietly, unassumingly met. An afterword reveals that the original story was published by I. L. Peretz in 1900. (Some back-ground about Peretz’s life and writing follows.) The story is based on one of the teachings in Pirkei Avot: “Who is wealthy? One who is content with what they have.” The simple lesson is clear and charmingly told, while the accompanying art is bright and attractive and supports the story. This book would be perfect for use in a classroom or youth group, and it would make for an excellent discussion about what is truly important in life.

– Michal Hoschander Malen, Jewish Book Council

PreS-Gr 2–Tuvia, a poor man with a wife and two children at home, is a porter in the local marketplace. When work runs out and he has no money to get food for Shabbat, the dejected man silently wishes “If only I could return home with something for my family.” Suddenly, a man clothed all in green appears and informs the porter that “there are seven good years in store for you”—which just happens to include a pile of gold behind Tuvia's dilapidated house. And, when the seven years of good fortune are over, Tuvia and his family will simply return to the lifestyle they now have. The years go by in a flash, and when the man in green next encounters Tuvia, he is shocked at his appearance, his home, and his family. Just what happened in those seven years? A parenthetical phrase, “I'm glad you asked,” appears throughout the tale as the narrator speaks directly to readers and answers self-posed questions. The pleasant ending reveals two surprises: how Tuvia and his family spent the gold, and what happens next to the family of four. The colorful, flowing cartoon illustrations set on white backgrounds provide a lighthearted setting. VERDICT Based on a story published in the early 1900s, Smith's retelling of this clever Yiddish folktale offers much food for thought and discussion.

– Maryann H. Owen, School Library Journal

The proverb from Pirkei Avot, “Who is wealthy? One who is content with what he has,” is brought to life in this cozy portrayal of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. This is a child-friendly adaptation of a story by Isaac Peretz, first published in the early 1900’s. Poor Tuvia meets a stranger who offers him enough gold to last seven years. After he and his wife agree to accept the gift they enjoy seven bountiful years. But when the stranger returns, Tuvia and his family are still wearing their raggedy clothing and living in their ramshackle hut. The stranger asks why Tuvia hasn’t spent all the gold. Tuvia replies that they spent what they needed to educate their children but had no need for anything else. They were satisfied with meeting their simplest needs, and ask the stranger to give the remaining gold to a needy family. But the next morning they find a new pile of gold in their yard, and so another seven years of bounty begin. This book is an excellent story for children to act out or retell sequentially. While the Jewish content is minimal, consisting of mentioning preparation for Shabbat and the use of the traditional "shalom alecheim" greeting, the flavor of Jewish village life is carried throughout by the bright and cheery cartoon style artwork. Backmatter about Peretz and his rejuvenation of Yiddish literature and further information about the book’s theme are included.

– Suzanne Grossman, Sydney Taylor Shmooze

This charming book is an adaptation of an I.L. Peretz (1852-1915) folktale. Tuvia and his family are very poor. To make a living, Tuvia works as a porter in the marketplace. He carries beams, logs, bundles of hay, and even a smiling colorfully spotted cow. Tuvia’s business soon dries up. People do not need him to carry anything. As Tuvia and his goat forlornly sit on a log in despair, a white bearded bright-eyed man in a green hat with a large blue feather appears. The man promises Tuvia seven rich years, but the man warns that after the seven years the riches will disappear and Tuvia will again be poor. Tuvia and his family enjoy the new riches. He can now afford to give his children a quality education. In the whimsical illustrations, one son happily plays the violin while another rows a boat. Even the skinny goat becomes fat. After seven years the old man returns as promised. In the interim Tuvia has not changed his lifestyle. He still works as a porter and wears his old, tattered clothes. As the man follows Tuvia home he sees the pile of gold he had given Tuvia seven years ago. Sorka, Tuvia’s wife, explains that they only used the gold for what they needed to live and educate their sons. The story illustrates the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) proverb: “Who is rich? One who is happy with what he has.” Children and adults will enjoy reading and rereading this Jewish folktale that illuminates Jewish values.

– Ilka Gordon, Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews