Review: GERSHON’S MONSTER – A STORY FOR THE JEWISH NEW YEAR, Module 2, Picture Books

Kimmel, Eric A. 2000. GERSHON’S MONSTER – A STORY FOR THE JEWISH
NEW YEAR. Ill. by Jon J. Muth. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN
043910839.

Gerson is a man who, like most, makes mistakes. Unfortunately he is a man who is oblivious to these mistakes. He is selfish and refuses to learn from his faults, he “swept them up and tossed them into the cellar. Then, once a year on Rosh Hashanah, he stuffed them into a sack, dragged the enormous bundle down to the sea, and tossed it in”. This selfishness almost costs this family their most precious possessions, their children. This man learns a very valuable lesson and is finally able to repent and learn from his mistakes. The dark watercolor illustrations help to portray the seriousness of Gershon’s mistakes and the customs of the Jewish people. They bring further understanding to the text. This Jewish legend ends with an author’s note which delivers additional information about the Jewish tradition of “casting one’s sins into the sea”.