FEAST: About Nina Jaffe

Biography

Nina Jaffe is an award-winning author, folklorist and storyteller who is on the graduate faculty at Bank Street College of Education. Her acclaimed retellings of world folklore include The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition and Patakín: World Tales of Drums and Drummers. An inspired researcher and storyteller, she has represented the United States at the International Festival of Storytelling in the Canary Islands, Spain and is a recipient of the Bank Street College Alumni Association Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education (2000.) Recent publications include a Spanish-language edition of The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico and the inaugural DC Comics Wonder Woman books for young readers. She lives in New York City with her husband and son.

Contact Information: Phone: (212)875-4492
Email: njaffe@bankstreet.edu

Publications: Books

Jaffe, N,(2005, 1996.) The golden flower: A Taino myth from Puerto Rico. Illus. Enrique O. Sánchez. Houston: Arte Publico.

Jaffe, N.( 2001; 1994) Patakín: World Tales of Drums and Drummers Illus. Ellen Eagle. Chicago: Cricket Books (with bonus CD.)

Jaffe, N. (2004) I am Wonder Woman; The contest; The arrival; The rainforest; Amazon princess; The journey begins. Illus. Ben Caldwell. NY: HarperCollins.

Jaffe, N.(2000) Tales for the seventh day: A collection of Sabbath stories. Illus. Kelly Stribling Sutherland. New York: Scholastic.

Jaffe, N (1998) The way meat loves salt: A Cinderella tale from the Jewish tradition. Illus. Louise August. New York: Holt.

Jaffe, N. & Zeitlin,S. (1998) The cow of no color: Riddle stories and justice tales from world traditions. Illus. Whitney Sherman New York: Holt.

Jaffe, N. (1997) A voice for the people: The life and work of Harold Courlander. New York: Holt.

Jaffe, N.(1997) The mysterious visitor: Stories of the prophet Elijah. Illus. Elivia Savadier. New York: Scholastic.

Jaffe, N. (1995) Older brother, Younger brother: A Korean folktale. Illus. Wenhai Ma. New York: Viking Childrens' Books.

Jaffe, N.& Zeitlin,S. (1993) While standing on one foot: Puzzle stories and wisdom tales from the Jewish tradition. Illus. John Segal. New York: Holt.

Jaffe, Nina. (1993) The uninvited guest and other Jewish holiday tales. Illus. Elivia Savadier. New York: Scholastic.

Jaffe, N. (1992) In the month of Kislev: A story for Hanukkah. Illus. Louise August New York: Viking.

Jaffe, N. (1993) Canta saquito! Sing, little sack: A folktale from Puerto Rico. Illus. Ray Cruz. New York: Bantam.

Jaffe, N. (1989) The three riddles: A Jewish folktale. Illus. Bryna Waldman. New York: Bantam.

Selected Websites:

Exploring Everyday Folklore with Nina Jaffe

FEAST: Folklore Education and Storytelling for Teachers

Authors Online Booklist: Nina Jaffe

Education World: Technology in the Classroom: Tune in to Teacher Radio

Talking with Nina Jaffe at Bank Street College of Education

Awards and Citations:

2000 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Young Readers for Tales for the Seventh Day: A Collection of Sabbath Stories.

2000 Bank Street College Alumni Association Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education.

2000 Best Book for Young Adults by the Keystone State Reading Assocation of Pennsylvania for The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from World Traditions.

1999 Notable Book for the National Council for the Social Studies for The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from World Traditions.

1999 Bank Street College Writers’ Award sponsored by the Graduate Faculty.

1998 Junior Library Guild Selection for The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from World Traditions.

1998 Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award by the Westchester Library System for A Voice for the People: The Life and Work of Harold Courlander.

1997 Sydney Taylor Award for Best Older Childrens' Picture Book (sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries) for The Mysterious Visitor: Stories of the Prophet Elijah.

1997 Smithsonian Notable Book Selection andJunior Library Guild Selection for A Voice for the People: The Life and Work of Harold Courlander.

1997 American Library Association Pura Belpre Award Honor book for Illustration for The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico.

The 1996 Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award sponsored by the Westchester Library System for While Standing On One Foot: Puzzle Stories and Wisdom Tales from the Jewish Tradition.

The 1996 Prix Verselles , sponsored by the Family League in Brussels, Belgium, for Debout Sur Un Pied, the French edition of While Standing On One Foot: Puzzle Stories and Wisdom Tales from the Jewish Tradition.

1996 Children's Book of the Year /Bank Street Child Study Childrens' Book Committee for Older Brother, Younger Brother : A Korean Folktale.

1995 Best Books for the Teen- Age Selection by the New York Public Library Young Adult Division for Patakín: World Tales of Drums and Drummers.

The 1993 Sydney Taylor Award for Best Childrens' Judaica Picture Book by the Association of Jewish Librarians, for The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish Holiday Tales.

1992 Book of the Month Club Selection for In the Month of Kislev: A Story for Hanukkah.

The 1992 Adele and Robert S. Blank Creative Jewish Arts Award (for storytelling) sponsored by Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York City.

Publications: Articles and Book Chapters:

Jaffe, N. (2004) The Hebrew midwives. In Kimmel, E. ( ed) Wonders and miracles: A Passover celebration. New York: Scholastic.

______ (2002) Mapping time: The Jewish calendar” in ASK Magazine. I;1.

_______(2000) Storytelling and folk narrative in classroom life. In N. Nager & E. K. Shapiro ( Eds.) Revisiting a Progressive Pedagogy: The Developmental-Interaction Approach Albany:SUNY Press.

_______(2000). Jewish Folklore: A Global Perspective. Proceedings of the Association of Jewish Libraries 34th Annual Convention.

______(1999) Global Storytelling: Report from Tenerife. Book Links: ALA Magazine.

______(1999). Languages and the world of childrens’ books. The Five Owls 12; 5.

_______(1998)A review of Bowman's store: A journey to myself by Joseph Bruchac in The New York Times Book Review ( April)

_______(1996) Reflections on the work of Harold Courlander: Folklore is a fragment. School Library Journal September.

_______(1996) A review of Jump up and say!A collection of Black storytellin.g by Linda Goss & Clay Goss in Forkroads: The Journal of Ethnic-American Literature 1;2.

_______(1995) Sydney Taylor Award Acceptance Speech. Judaica Librarianship. 9;1-2.

_______(1995). Storytelling at the crossroads. Forkroads: The Journal of Ethnic American Literature. Vol. I. #1.

_______(1992) . Music in early childhood. Explorations with Young Children: A Curriculum Guide from Bank Street College of Education NY: Gryphon House.

______(1991) Let it come, Let it go: Storytelling for early childhood educators. Experiences of Joy: Cultural Approaches to Excellence; A Multi-Media Resource Portfolio of the Bank Street/Yonkers Early Childhood Project.

_______(1991) Storytelling in Advisement. Thought and Practice : The Journal of the Bank Street College of Education; Vol. 3, #1.

Selected Profiles

Stavisky. K.Z. (2005) Reshaping ideas: Bank Street ideals transform a superhero and the world. Street Scenes: Bank Street College of Education Magazine.

Reing. M.L.(2001) Teller of tales turns to Talmud and more. JTS Magazine: The Journal of the Jewish Theological Seminary. 11; 1.

McDermott, M. (2000) For Nina Jaffe, stories have magic. The Riverdale Press. 50;46.

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FEAST: Folklore: Bibliography From Bank Street Library