American Golem

A kid arrives in America, where everything is big, crowded, strange, and scary. He builds a golem, a mud monster from Jewish folklore, to protect him from the big kids next door. But he soon learns he doesn't need the golem for protection. What else can a golem do in America?

Graphic-novel style illustrations provide a fresh approach with kid appeal, and an Author Note introduces the Jewish value of tikun olam, repairing the world. 

Read more at New Kids Books for the New Year from Jewish Journal.

REVIEWS

"Through an amusing story and charming, highly detailed illustrations, American Golem articulates the fear of every newcomer: that they won’t fit in. The book’s lesson—that it’s important to be open to new experiences and people—is timely, and its writing is accessible to young people. The book includes a meaningful author’s note which further expands upon this topic."
— Jewish Book Council

"An utterly charming, impressively original, thoroughly 'kid friendly', and unfailingly entertaining picture book for young readers ages 8 to 12, American Golem by author and illustrator Marc Lumer is very highly recommended for family, elementary school, and community library collections for young readers."
— Midwest Book Review

"Lumer's comics-style mixed-media illustrations successfully combine a traditional picture-book format with comics conventions (panels, speech balloons, and frames). Earthy colors predominate, and the inclusion of several sepia-toned photographs suggests the setting as pre-WWII New York City. While the story makes few references to Judaism, an appended author's note clarifies both golems and tikun olan (repairing the world) and offers questions for discussion."
— Booklist