Harold Grinspoon, the dynamic charitable force behind the PJ Library, was profiled in a recent piece by the Boston Globe. The foundation headed by Grinspoon has given away two million free books to Jewish families over the last four years, in an effort to help strengthen Jewish values and an understanding of Jewish culture, especially among those who are the product of mixed marriages or who live outside urban areas with large Jewish populations. The article observes that Mr. Grinspoon had little formal Jewish education and came to realize the importance of Jewish-themed literature later in life.

NewSouth Books is proud to have published three award-winning books selected by the PJ Library for give-away through its program: Alef-Bet and Chicken Man by Michelle Edwards and Shlemiel Crooks by Anna Olswanger.

A nice review for a very nice book. That’s how we characterize the write-up of Michelle Edwards’ classic of Jewish children’s literature, Chicken Man, which appeared in “Page Turners,” a blog of the Greensboro, North Carolina News & Record.

From the review:

This story is filled with Jewish history references, but not so many that a non-Jewish reader can’t enjoy it. The artwork, which includes a labeled map of the village and illustrations of each job Rody takes on, adds humor to the tale. 

Chicken Man is the story of Rody, a hard worker on an Israeli kibbutz who demonstrates that it’s not what you do but the love you put into the doing that makes a difference. The book, by Michelle Edwards, is a National Jewish Book Award winner. It was reissued by NewSouth Books in hardcover and paperback. NewSouth’s new edition of Chicken Man includes an updated afterword by the author, discussing how kibbutz life has changed in Israel since Chicken Man was first published. There you can get “all the information you need to enjoy the book without having to Google ‘Jewish culture,'” says reviewer Kim Stack Mills.

Chicken Man is available directly from NewSouth Books, Amazon.com or your favorite local or online retailer.

The Anti-Defamation League has chosen Michelle Edwards’s Chicken Man as one of their Recommended Books on Israel for kindergarten and elementary schools.

The ADL describes their recommended Israel Book Connections titles as quality titles that present Israel while avoiding “stereotypes in presenting the complexities of the region.” Congratulations to Michelle and Chicken Man.

NewSouth is pleased to release Michelle Edwards’s Chicken Man (winner of the 1992 National Jewish Book Award) and Alef-Bet, now available in paperback. Chicken Man is also available in hardcover from NewSouth Books.

Celebrate the return of Michelle Edwards’ Chicken Man with a new Book of Life audio interview!

Junebug Books is pleased to be re-releasing Michelle Edwards’ National Jewish Book Award-winning illustrated children’s book, Chicken Man. Chicken Man is the story of Rody, an Israeli kibbutznik who loves his job tending to the chickens. He makes his work seem so delightful that everyone wants a chance to tend the brood. When they do, Rody is transferred elsewhere. But as Rody moves from job to job, the kibbutz learns it’s not what you do, but how you do it that makes a difference.

“There were a lot of people who felt strongly about Chicken Man,” Edwards noted, speaking with Heidi Estrin of the Book of Life podcast. She notes that she believes that part of the original popularity of the Chicken Man book was due to the slice of Israeli life that Chicken Man shows. The new edition of Chicken Man includes an updated note from Edwards, discussing how kibbutz life has changed in Israel over the years since Chicken Man was first released.

Listen to the full interview with Michelle Edwards at the Book of Life website.

Chicken Man is forthcoming from NewSouth Books. Visit the NewSouth Books Chicken Man book page for more information.