Clever, to the moon and back

Tales of Chelm, the town of fools, have entertained Jews for generations. But when Audrey Barbakoff wanted to share Chelm stories with her young son, she ran into two problems.

The stories are, she said, “set long ago and far away… and almost everyone in the stories is an adult,” both of which may make the stories less palatable for younger listeners.

Barbakoff solved these problems in her first children’s book, The Shlemiel Kids Save the Moon . In it, the children of modern-day Chelm must convince their parents that the moon has not fallen into the lake without embarrassing them.

“The adults are still as foolish, but the children are wise,” Barbakoff said. The kids guide the adults to the correct conclusion with cleverness and teamwork.

While this is the author’s first children’s book, her other work includes professional development texts for librarians, she said she would love to see it become a series. “There are so many Chelm stories to tell,” Barbakoff said.

Barbakoff, who has a master’s in library and information sciences and a doctorate in education, is the founder and CEO of Co/lab Capacity, LLC, which offers consulting and training for libraries, educational institutions, and other nonprofits. A Highland Park native, Barbakoff now lives in Seattle with her husband and two young children.

Barbakoff’s four-year-old child is unclear, she admitted, on the concept of authorship: “He thinks books are magical objects that appear in our house.

She agrees that children’s literature is magical, and wishes adults would treat it with respect. “It’s a foundation for how we approach values, learning, work, and relationships-every part of life,” Barbakoff attests.

The Shlemiel Kids Save the Moon is published by the Jewish-owned Collective Book Studio, and was illustrated by Israeli artist Rotem Teplow. To order the book or schedule a story time, visitbarbakoffbooks.com.