Rifka Takes a Bow

June 17, 2013
Rifka lives in early 20th-century New York City with her glamorous, devoted parents, who are stars of the Yiddish theater. She marvels at the transformations that they undergo and revels in backstage life, with its dressing rooms filled with makeup, ribbons, and beads; its clever props (ketchup for blood, tea for whiskey); and even its rules for how to perform a kiss (“The man holds the girl’s head between his hands, and he kisses his thumbs”). When Rifka accidentally ends up on stage during a performance, she blanches only for a minute—the theater is in truly in her blood. As the afterword notes, Perlov’s childhood was the model for Rifka’s, but this story is more about the magic of theater in general than about Yiddish theatre in particular. Similarly, Kawa’s dreamy pictures, with their skewed perspectives and fanciful characterizations, make some references to Jewish life, but are more interested in pretend play writ large. Readers will get little sense of Yiddish theater’s distinctive emotional flamboyance or cultural relevancy, though the afterword offers some historical details. Ages 5–9.

August 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-This picture book gives a glimpse into the world of the Second Avenue Yiddish theaters of 1920s New York. Young Rifka's parents are both actors, and the child loves everything about their work, from the dark backstage area, to the stored props under the stage, to the glamorous chorus girls in the dressing room, who laugh and joke and sometimes let her wear their makeup. The stylized illustrations give an air of memory and fantasy with elongated figures and confettilike shapes floating throughout the pictures. Details such as a trip to the Automat and Rifka's mother's bobbed hair add more historical context. The child's moment to shine comes when she accidentally walks onstage through a balcony door. In the family spirit of the Yiddish theater, she is welcomed by her parents and the audience alike and invited center stage for her bow in the spotlight. Perlov, herself a child actor in the days of Yiddish radio, paints an affectionate and nostalgic picture of the era with her words. A nice addition to collections wishing to highlight the American Jewish experience.-Martha Link Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2013
Rifka accidentally finds herself onstage in a Yiddish theater production and speaks her first lines as an actress: "Piff-Paff! Not to worry." The Yiddish theater was a vibrant part of immigrant life in New York in the first part of the 20th century. Rifka's parents are actors who introduce her to the magical world of that theater. She is especially impressed with the way in which her parents can take on the personae of the characters they play, with just a bit of makeup, some props and costumes, and changes in body language. The surrounding elements of the city are also part of the fun. They travel on the subway with its noise and diversity. They eat at the Automat, putting in their nickels and taking out the food. Perlov makes it all come alive, employing a conversational syntax that speaks directly to readers. It is a memoir told with love and nostalgia, for it is her own story, told from a distance of nine decades. Kawa's illustrations are as magical as any theater experience. She employs a variety of media to turn real places and events into fantasy landscapes from several perspectives, in dreamlike images that are somewhat reminiscent of Chagall. Look closely and there are tiny shapes and designs floating through the larger pictures. Unusual and unabashedly charming. (afterword) (Picture book. 5-9)

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September 15, 2013
Preschool-G Children won't know what the Yiddish theater was (until they read this title's informative afterword), but that doesn't matter much. Here, the focus is on the magic of performing and the wonder a little girl feels when she isaccidentallyon stage. In a direct first-person voice, Rifka begins by telling readers how Papa pastes on a mustache, and Mama puts on a white wig; suddenly they are old. Life can be fun for the child of thespiansstopping at the Automat for snacks and wearing makeup for fun. But when Rifka hits the boards, she is the one who gets the applause. Author Perlov, now in her late 90s, is the daughter of Yiddish theater thespians, so much of what she writes is from her own memories. Kawa's imaginative mixed-media artwork, reminiscent of Pamela Zagarenski's stylistic pictures, captures the fantasy world of the theater. A few photos at the end give a better idea of New York's Lower East Side. As the old rye bread ad used to say, you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)