Here come the Purim players!

It's Purim, and that means a Purim Play! Led by Reb Yisroel on his black horse, Mottel and Moishe the clowns, and a boisterous group of yeshiva students, the Jewish residents Old Prague parade through the city, on their way to Reb Zalman's house. Here, the ancient story of Esther, who used her

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position as queen and consort to the Persian King Ahasuerus to save her people from destruction, is reenacted, with plenty of audience participation, and much feasting afterward...

Barbara Cohen is the co-author of one of my favorite works of historical fiction for young readers, the marvelous Seven Daughters and Seven Sons, based upon an Iraqi folktale, so I was eager to see what she would do with this Purim tale. I was not disappointed. Here Come the Purim Players! manages to present the Purim story in an entertaining way, combining it with a historical tale set in old (late medieval? early modern?) Prague. I enjoyed the audience interjections, and the overall sense of fun, although I was struck by the fact that a young man played the part of Esther. I guess, like their Christian counterparts, the Jews of this period considered acting an unsuitable activity for a woman...?

Although it was originally published in 1984, and illustrated by Beverly Brodsky, I read the 1998 reprint, with artwork by Shoshana Mekibel. I can't say that I was completely blown away by these illustrations, but they were pleasant enough. All in all, an appealing title, recommended to anyone looking for good storybooks for Purim!

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