Kohuth Jane - Estie the Mensch

Text copyright 2011 by Jane Kohuth
Jacket art and interior illustrations copyright 2011 by Rosanne Litzinger All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Childrens Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
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Kohuth, Jane.
Estie the mensch / by Jane Kohuth ; illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. 1st ed. p. bdg.) eISBN: 978-0-375-98007-7
[1. bdg.) eISBN: 978-0-375-98007-7
[1.

BehaviorFiction. 2. Conduct of lifeFiction. 3. JewsUnited StatesFiction.] I. II. II.

Title.
PZ7.K828Es 2011 [E]dc22 2010011254 Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read. v3.1 For my father, Alan Kohuth, a great storyteller, and for my mother, Leslie Kohuth, who supplied my book habit and showed me how to be a reader and an artist. And for my sister, Emily Kohuth, who was a child like no other and is now a real mensch.J.K.To muses Pia and FranziskaR.L.

E stie did not always like people. People hogged the best toys at school. People pushed on the train. And what do you want to be when you grow up, young lady? asked the neighbor, Mrs. Zipper. Zipper.

Estie pulled the collar of her jacket over her head. Turtle, she mumbled. Be polite to Mrs. Zipper, said her mother. But Estie did not like to be polite. Esties best friend was her dog, Flopper.

At dinner, Estie crawled under the table with Flopper. Flopper sniffed the familys feet. Estie sniffed the familys feet. Flopper barked when a truck went by. Estie barked when a car went by. Flopper pawed Esties fathers leg.

Estie pawed her grandmas leg. Oy, Estie, said her grandma. Zai a mensch. That means be a person, Es, explained her father. A well-behaved person, her mother added. A good person, her grandma finished. But Estie did not want to be a person.

Today she wanted to be a dog. She laid her head in her grandmas lap. Her grandma sighed and petted her hair. Sometimes Estie was a dog. Other times, she was a turtle. One day, at the library, Estie was an elephant.

She clomped and stomped and swung her trunk. Be a mensch, Estie! whispered her mother. At the beach, Estie was a seagull. She followed the birds. She flapped her wings. Feh. Feh.

Spit that out, Estie, said her grandma. Be a mensch, Estie, her father reminded her. At the grocery store, Estie was a chimp. Oh, Estie. Save it for the monkey bars, her mother sighed. Esties parents had a barbecue in the backyard.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Estie the fly zoomed around the hamburgers and macaroni salad. Her feelers landed on a cupcake. Buzz off, kiddo, said Esties father. Dinner first. Estie licked frosting off her fingers.

Her father raised his eyebrows. Be a mensch and use a napkin, Es. On swimming day, Estie was an octopus. She wriggled and stuck her suction-cup hands to the side of the pool. Come jump off the diving board, Es! called her father. Why dont you swim a little? suggested her mother.

Estie shook her tentacles to say no. Use your words, said Esties mother. Yeah, be a mensch! called her father. When her grandma babysat, Estie was a tiger. Estie pounced! Estie! gasped Grandma. You gave me such a fright! Anyone would think you were a jungle cat instead of a beautiful little girl.

Come sit in Grandmas lap. Grrrr, said Estie. But she rubbed her cheek against her grandmas woolly sweater. Purr, said Estie. Oy, sighed Grandma. The next time she spent the day with Estie, Grandma had a surprise planned.

Shall we go to the zoo? she asked. Estie nodded. Then she and Flopper bounded around the room, wagging their tails with joy.