MR. TEMPKIN CLIMBS A TREE

A young boy and his elderly neighbor bond during the summer months.

When school is out, Marky enjoys helping Mr. Tempkin with his garden. While watering the flowers and pulling weeds, Marky listens to Mr. Tempkin impart his philosophy on aging well: Walk every day to synagogue, enjoy the flowers and birds in the garden, and, most of all, value friendship. When the elder falls and gets hurt because he decides to climb a tree to hang a bird feeder, Marky is there to get help. Once Mr. Tempkin is back from the hospital, in a wheelchair with a sprained ankle, Marky is even more willing to be there for his friend; it’s a mitzvah, after all, to wheel Mr. Tempkin to synagogue and do the work in the garden. By summer’s end Mr. Tempkin’s ankle is healed and the affinity between the two neighbors has blossomed into a very special relationship. Detailed, realistic paintings in bright, sunny, summer colors portray a largely white suburban community (although a final school-bus scene reflects a diverse group of kids). The fluid narrative arc extends main themes of friendship and the Jewish value of mitzvah: doing good through genuine caring.

A gentle story with minimal intrigue and plenty of compassion highlights the beauty of intergenerational relationships.