| The Magic Pot by Olga SteinAlthough the context for the story is the very modest home of
impoverished elderly Jewish grandparents, the appeal is universal.
Seven-year-old Rifkeh visits her tiny Bubbe Malke every Saturday,
never noticing how sickly or poor she is. Because Bubbe Malke is
loving and kind, considerate of every living thing around her, she
is to Rifkeh always larger than life and beautiful. One day Rifkeh
brings her grandmother a gift. It's a necklace with a copper-enamelled
butterfly pendant that Rifkeh painted. On that same day, she also
notices that the sabbath meal Bubbe Malke is preparing is being
cooked in a tiny pot with barely any meat in it. Suddenly she becomes
aware of her grandmother's difficult circumstances and is moved to
tears. But then a miracle happens: As Bubbe Malke uses her best
dishes and silverware to greet the sabbath, to celebrate the gift
her granddaughter gave her, and to imbue the occasion with as much
joy and beauty as she can, everything begins to change, taking on
a magnificent appearance. An old chair begins to look like a throne,
Bubbe Malke becomes tall and stately like a queen, and the little
pot is transformed into a large soup tureen filled to the brim with
delicious chicken stew. The Magic Pot is a moving story, well written
and illustrated, about the magic of love, appreciation, and the
ability to celebrate, despite of obstacles, the most important
things in life.
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