Golem  •  David Wisniewski  •  Lee Salsberry LITERATURE •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 32 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A retelling of a Jewish legend, set in Prague in the 16th century, a dark time for the city's Jewish residents. A rabbi builds a clay giant to protect his people from persecution; the golem, in this version, speaks with a child's simplicity. The remarkable paper-cutout illustrations brilliantly evoke the Prague of old, and the author includes a helpful historical note. It's suitable for 9 to 12 year-olds. (CZH38, $17.00)
Hippocrene Children's Illustrated Czech Dictionary, English-Czech/Czech-English  •  Hippocrene REFERENCE •  2001 •  PAPER • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A visual dictionary geared for middle schoolers and useful for the whole family. (CZH63, $11.95)
The Three Golden Keys  •  Peter Sis LITERATURE •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 64 PAGES • FAMILY Either by magic or trick of memory, author/illustrator Peter Sis is transported to the Prague of his childhood. As in all of Sis's books, the imaginary gets mixed up with the real -- in this book, he meets characters from Czech folklore, including the Golem and Hanus the Clockmaker. Prague, so often called a "fairy tale city," is at its most fairy tale-ish in this sophisticated, entrancing picture book. Intended for grade-school children, the book will appeal equally (or more) to parents. (CZH39, $23.00)
The Wall, Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain  •  Peter Sis BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 56 PAGES • FAMILY With his usual flair and attention to detail, illustrator Peter Sis reveals life as a youth in Prague in the 1960s and 1970s, deftly sketching the events, experiences and history of an era. Effectively alternating color and media (Prague Spring of 1968 erupts to psychedelic color, Stalin's tanks are darkly foreboding), the page margins are dense with childhood art, photographs, and advertising and propaganda from the time, lending documentary weight to a poignant, personal tribute to the creative spirit -- and the longing for freedom. (CZH78, $18.00)