A Sack Full of Feathers

A Sack Full of Feathers is Waldman’s version of a folktale about the dangers of spreading gossip. It is set in the eastern European village of Olkinik in the late 19th century. Yankel loves to tell stories, but he gets so carried away when he hears something he finds interesting that he immediately rushes off to share the news with his friends. As a result, he never gets the whole story, and he never gets it right. The wise rabbi in town teaches Yankel a valuable lesson about spreading misinformation, something that’s never been more timely than it is today.

PJ Library Reading Guide for A Sack Full of Feathers

A Sack Full of Feathers was abridged in the May 2017 issue of Scholastic Scope magazine, as part of a story package about fake news.

Short-listed for 2008 Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Shining Willow Award

Named to 2007 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens list (formerly Our Choice)

Short-listed for 2007 Ontario Library Association Blue Spruce Award

Short-listed for the 2007 R. Ross Annett Award in Children’s Literature

Chosen for the 2006-7 PJ Library book list. The PJ library is a program of
the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Reviews:Multicultural Review wrote:

This delightful children’s picture book teaches people of all ages the valuable lesson of avoiding gossip and tale bearing. A story that has been passed down through the generations, it is beautifully written and illustrated, with both humor and wisdom.

Booklist wrote:

The fun in this retelling of a Jewish folk tale is not in the lesson, but in the setting, the people, and the stories they tell.

Quill & Quire wrote:

The world in which the author and illustrator set this story is cozy and benign, a world of primary colors with dots and stripes, blue birds in trees, contented cats, cottages of the sort young children draw themselves, delicious food with an emphasis on dessert,and the headscarves, brooms, and chickens that signal all the old countries of Eastern Europe.

Publishers Weekly wrote:

…Entertaining…retelling of a traditional folk tale. Zippy page borders and spot illustrations with unusual shapes are among the design elements that give [Cindy Revell’s] textured acrylics some oomph. A cast of (mostly) spotted cats and a jaunty Yankel springing through the pages number among the memorable character depictions.

Jewish Book World wrote:

The traditional folktale instructing about the harm of gossip reappears once more in a new, charming picture book…It is refreshing to have the moral arrive through a youngster instead of the usual middle-aged sharpest tongue in the village.

CM Magazine wrote:

Children will enjoy this story as a read-aloud, and it can also be used by parents and teachers to impart an important life lesson.

Edmonton Jewish News wrote:

A vibrant storybook that tells a story that will entertain and educate young children about the harm of gossip.