Author’s PresentationAuthor’s Presentation

Nina JaffeNina Jaffe

Nina Jaffe

• Nina Jaffe is an award-winning storyteller and author who is known for her retelling of Jewish and world folklore. She was born in New York and holds a degree in world music from Wesleyan University and an M.S. in Bilingual Special Education from Bank street College of Education. She is currently on a graduate faculty as a specialist in story telling, folklore and music. In December 1998, she represented United States in the Third International festival of storytelling in the Canary Islands of Spain. Nina has created a series featuring American icon Wonder Woman, emphasizing the character’s mythological background. The series has been revised and translated for a younger audience.

Awards• 2000 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Young Readers for Tales for the Seventh Day: A Collection

of Sabbath Stories.

2000 Bank Street College Alumni Association Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education.

2000 Best Book for Young Adults by the Keystone State Reading Association of Pennsylvania for The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from World Traditions.

1999 Notable Book for the National Council for the Social Studies for The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from World Traditions.

1999 Bank Street College Writers’ Award sponsored by the Graduate Faculty.

1998 Junior Library Guild Selection for The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from World Traditions.

1998 Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award by the Westchester Library System for A Voice for the People: The Life and Work of Harold Courlander.

1997 Sydney Taylor Award for Best Older Children's Picture Book (sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries) for The Mysterious Visitor: Stories of the Prophet Elijah.

1997 Smithsonian Notable Book Selection and Junior Library Guild Selection for A Voice for the People: The Life and Work of Harold Courlander.

• 1997 American Library Association Pura Belpre Award Honor book for Illustration for The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico.

The 1996 Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award sponsored by the Westchester Library System for While Standing On One Foot: Puzzle Stories and Wisdom Tales from the Jewish Tradition.

The 1996 Prix Verselles , sponsored by the Family League in Brussels, Belgium, for Debout Sur Un Pied, the French edition of While Standing On One Foot: Puzzle Stories and Wisdom Tales from the Jewish Tradition.

1996 Children's Book of the Year /Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Committee for Older Brother, Younger Brother : A Korean Folktale.

1995 Best Books for the Teen- Age Selection by the New York Public Library Young Adult Division for Patakín: World Tales of Drums and Drummers.

The 1993 Sydney Taylor Award for Best Children's Judaica Picture Book by the Association of Jewish Librarians, for The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish Holiday Tales.

1992 Book of the Month Club Selection for In the Month of Kislev: A Story for Hanukkah.

The 1992 Adele and Robert S. Blank Creative Jewish Arts Award (for storytelling) sponsored by Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York City.

Books

• A multicultural collection of tales from Africa, Asia, Europe, from Irish Jews, Muslims and American school. Stories grouped into categories like “Poetic justice” and “Forgiveness and mercy”. Readers will ask themselves: What is fair or just? (Ages 8-12)

• A tale from Puerto Rico about a wicked man, who kidnaps Marisol and makes her sing inside a sack. The people think that “Saquito” is singing, but Marisol is saved when her mother recognizes her voice. (Ages 4-7)

• Ten folk tales from different parts of the world, involving drums. The drum theme unites people in the basic cultural activity of telling tales. (Ages 10-14)

• The forest is in danger. Wonder Woman is the only person strong enough, fast enough and smart enough to protect the forest. Will she save the day? (Ages 6+)

• A Rabbi asks his daughters, how much do you love me? One of the daughters says “ The way meat loves salt”. Her father is angered and throws her out of his home. When she is to marry a Rabbi’s son, she invites her family. The food was made tasteless, lacking salt and her father realized just how much his daughter loved him. (Ages 4-9)

• A tale of a good sibling and a bad sibling told in a traditional Korean way. When a fathers dies, older brother Nolbu, inherits family property and banishes younger bother Hungbu, his wife and children. This does not change Hungbu’s generous manner and he is magically rewarded with prosperity. (Ages 5-8)

• Tells the story of novelist and folklorist, Courlander, who survived a difficult childhood, hardships of the depression, and World War II. While living in various parts of the world, he befriended many people and asked questions about their music and stories. (Age: young adults)

• Seven tales each related to the Jewish Sabbath, but reflective of different cultures and times. It includes a tale of Ethiopia that can be traced to Babylonian Talmud, a laborer rewarded for his faith and hard work. (Ages 8-12)

• Many years ago, the island of Puerto Rico was called “Borinquen”. A myth from the tainos tells of how a golden flower brought water to the world, the origin of the sea, the forest and the island called Puerto Rico. (Ages 5-8)

• A rich arrogant merchant learns the real meaning of Hanukkah, when he takes the family of a poor peddler to court for savoring the smell of his family’s pancakes. (Ages 4-7)

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