RACHEL THE CLEVER

A disappointing entry from a publisher that's been making a name for itself with folklore collections. Many of the 46 stories here have been told elsewhere with more verve and style. Sherman's tales of Chelm are so slight as to be mere anecdotes compared to Singer's richly layered versions, while her magical stories seem flat beside Howard Schwartz's (in The Diamond Tree, 1991). A cursory introduction tells little about Judaism, the diaspora, or biblical and Talmudic influences on Jewish folklore. For a better general collection with more insight into sources, try Jose Patterson's Angels, Prophets, Rabbis and Kings (1991). B&w illustrations not seen. (Nonfiction. 10+)