“Now Gershon was not always the best person he could be. True, the mistakes he made were not huge. They were common, ordinary things: a broken promise, a temper lost for no reason, a little untruth told here and there.” However, unlike most other people who apologize for the errors of their ways, Gershon never expressed regret, nor did he ask anyone’s forgiveness. Every Friday, he merely swept up his thoughtless acts and tossed them down into the cellar. Once a year, he gathered the accumulation into a gigantic sack and dragged it to the sea. But Gershon’s thoughtlessness ultimately throws his beloved children into jeopardy. Kimmel’s effective retelling of an early Hasidic legend is extended by Muth’s watercolor paintings that show the thoughtless acts as little imps and the annual sackful as a pollutant. A helpful author’s note at the end provides historical context and suggestions for practicing t’shuvah , or the act of returning to one’s true moral nature. The story can serve as an introduction to a Rosh Hashanah discussion of repentance or as a worthy moral tale. (Ages 5-11)

Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner

Author Eric A. Kimmel Named Winner of 2024 Regina Medal for Distinguished Contribution to Children's Literature

There was once a baker named Gershon who was a sinner. His sins were the common ordinary stuff; a few little lies, a broken promise, a temper lost for no reason. But unlike most people, Gershon never regretted what he had done. He never apologized or asked anyone's forgiveness. Why should he? He merely swept the little monsters up and tossed them into the celler. Then, once a year, on Rosh Hashanah, he would stuff them in a sack and throw them into the sea. Why should he bother asking anyone for forgiveness when getting rid of them was so easy?

It was only a matter of time, though, before Gershon's bad ways caught up with him. And they did come back to haunt him. One day, as his two children played by the sea, those sins he thought he'd gotten rid of had grown into a giant sea monster! Now they threatened what was most dear to him: his beloved children. Was it too late for Gershon to save them from his own mistakes?