KAI AND THE GOLEM

With his grandmother in the hospital, a young Jewish boy finds that nothing feels quite right.

Dad doesn’t have time to make Kai pancakes; in gym class, Kai and his classmates are doing gymnastics rather than playing soccer; and, back at home, Kai wants to read stories with Bubbe, but she isn’t here. Remembering the folktales she often reads him, he fantasizes about a golem to protect him, but the hulking creature he dreams up that night is terrifying. When Kai awakens, the golem—now smaller and more subdued—is still there; it trails behind Kai as he goes about his day. A phone call to Bubbe lifts his spirit. Though things may not be ideal, he realizes that he can still find a way to look on the bright side. Kai’s transition from angry and frustrated to optimistic feels unrealistically abrupt, though the sense of repetition (in particular, Kai’s refrain “That’s not what I want!”) is soothing, and caregivers seeking a way to help little ones navigate the absence of a loved one will find guidance here. The furry, cuddly golem is a departure from traditional folklore, in which the creatures are made from clay or stone, as shown elsewhere in the book and in the backmatter. Hebrew and Yiddish words appear but aren’t defined. Vavouri’s illustrations are inconsistent, with objects sometimes changing size and perspective. Kai and his family are light-skinned.

Heartfelt, though uneven.