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Chaya Leah Rothstein and Ruthy Perlstein are
making their mark in children's literature.

SUSAN GRANT

Staff Writer

haya Leah Roth-
stein and Ruthy
Perlstein never
imagined charac-
ters Mordy and
Malkie Mentchkin would leap
from a cartoon strip into child-
ren's hearts.
All Mrs. Rothstein wanted
was someone to draw a car-
toon strip for a six-page chil-
dren's magazine, Gan
Shalom. She created the
magazine seven years ago
while teaching first grade at
the Sally Allan Alexander
Beth Jacob School for Girls
and had heard about Mrs.
Perlstein's artistic talents.
"I can draw a fish and a
hook if I have to, but to draw
a child I need someone's ex-
pertise," Mrs. Rothstein
said.
Although the time con-

straints of teaching and rais-
ing her family forced her to
stop the magazine's publica-
tion after six months, the
Mentchkins, whose good
deeds became a popular
feature, survived.
With the encouragement
of her husband, Binyomin,
Mrs. Rothstein asked Mrs.
Perlstein if they could col-
laborate on a children's book
featuring the Mentchkins.
At first hesitant about the
project, Mrs. Perlstein
agreed and the two Oak
Park residents began work
on a manuscript. In 1986,

The Mentchkins Make
Shabbos was published and

dedicated to their husbands,
Binyomin and Yosef.
It became an instant
success in Jewish bookstores
around the country. The

Mentchkins Make Friends

followed in 1988.
While they plan an even-
tual third Mentchkin book,

Mrs. Rothstein had other
story ideas she wanted to
pursue. But Then I Re-
membered appeared in book-
stores before Chanukah and
is dedicated to Mrs. Roths-
tein's parents and her men-
tor and founder of Beth
Jacob, Rabbi Sholom Golds-
tein. More of a mood piece
than a story with a plot, But
Then I Remembered features
children telling about the
mitzvot they did after re-
membering the examples set
by adults.
Doing good deeds is a
theme that runs through all
their books. "But we don't
try to cram something down
children's throats," Mrs.
Rothstein said. "We want to
teach kids a lesson by exam-

Above: Chaya Leah Rothstein,
left, and Ruthy Perlstein, right,
test their book on Yaakov
Perlstein.

ple. We don't want to say
you must do this."
Mrs. Rothstein and Mrs.
Perlstein recently took a
break from fiction and are
completing work on A

Beginner's Guide to Hebrew
Script. The workbook

teaches children to write
Hebrew letters as well as
enhance their vocabulary
skills. Dedicated to her late
brother, Leib Seligson, it
comes out of Mrs. Roths-
tein's 10 years of teaching
experience at Beth Jacob.
The workbook has been or-
dered for use by Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah schools.
With the textbook's com-
pletion, Mrs. Rothstein and
Mrs. Perlstein are already
thinking of new ideas for an-
other children's book.
She never knows when a
creative story idea will
come, Mrs. Rothstein said.
She can be preparing for
Shabbat dinner, cleaning

house or lying in bed at
night when a story idea pops
into her head.
Then she's on the phone
with Mrs. Perlstein. If both
agree the idea is good, they
begin work on a manuscript.
While Mrs. Rothstein has
some time to spend in the
afternoon to write the book,
Mrs. Perlstein is often at her
drawing table at 1 a.m. do-
ing the book's illustrations.
Although Mrs. Rothstein
has final approval on the
writing and Mrs. Perlstein
final say on the drawings,
they often seek advice from
one another. Because they
are good friends, if some-
thing doesn't work, whether
it be an illustration or a
sentence, neither hesitates
to say something.
"Sometimes she'll look at
a drawing and say the face
seems to be too narrow,"
Mrs. Perlstein said.
"Sometimes I will say no; I

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

71

