Something from Nothing

Phoebe Gilman

Apr 2017 · Sold by Scholastic Inc.

About this ebook

Joseph's grandfather transforms his blanket many times over the years, but what can be done when the final item is lost? Gilman's version of this Yiddish folk tale won the 1993 Ruth Schwartz Award.

When Joseph was a baby, his grandfather made him a wonderful blanket. But as Joseph grows older, the blanket becomes tattered and worn. Throw it out! cries Joseph's mother. Luckily, Grandpa is an extraordinary tailor. He can fix anything! And so with a snip! snip! here, and a few stitches there, Grandpa transforms the treasured blanket into a jacket, a vest, a Sabbath tie, a handkerchief, and finally a beautiful button. But when the button is lost, even Grandpa can't help. After all, how can you make something from nothing?In a rich and loving portrait of shtetl life, Phoebe Gilman presents a traditional Jewish folktale about family love and ingenuity that will warm the hearts of readers young and old.

About the author

Pheobe Gilman was the beloved creator of the Jillian Jiggs (Lili Tire-bouchon) series as well as the award-winning Something From Nothing (Un merveilleux petit rien!), The Gypsy Princess, Pirate Pearl, Little Blue Ben, The Balloon Tree (L'arbre aux ballons), and Grandma and the Pirates. She passed away in 2002.