"A Most Gentle Golem for a New Generation"– a review in Judith Magazine

Many thanks to Erica Lyons for her wonderful review of Kai and the Golem in Judith Magazine:

"Kai and the Golem, by Carol Matas, is a golem tale like you’ve never heard before. Matas weaves Jewish folklore, tradition, and adventure into a story that captivates young readers. Elisa Vavouri’s lively illustrations perfectly pair with this sweet multi-generational story.

Rich in imagination and grounded in Jewish tradition, Kai and the Golem teaches young readers the Jewish mitzvah of visiting the sick. The narrative also suggests ways to manage disappointment and strong emotions.

Kai is a thoroughly relatable protagonist whose hopes and frustrations will resonate with children. By the final page, readers are sure to be eager for Kai's next adventure with his extraordinary golem companion." ... click here for the the full article, including book illustrations and author bio

Kai and the Golem first review!

Kirkus has reviewed Kai and the Golem!

 "...the sense of repetition (in particular, Kai’s refrain “That’s not what I want!”) is soothing, and caregivers seeking a way to help little ones navigate the absence of a loved one will find guidance here...heartfelt..."

The book will be published on November 4th!

Kai's Bubbe is in hospital and nothing seems right with the world. Could a wrecker be behind all the bad things happening? A wrecker Kai decides to call Golem? Or can Kai find a way to make things better, Golem or no Golem? 

The Minds Series has just been reissued!!

Thrilled to report that The Minds Series is now out in beautiful new covers created by Asa Nodelman, designed by Tara Smilinski and photographed by Robert Wilson. Hopefully, like any good fantasy series, this one will be just as relevant to a new generation of readers as the last iteration. It was so much fun writing this series with my friend and co writer Perry Nodelman. In fact, it all started with Perry playing his usual role of first critic and editor of all my first drafts. Except when he critiqued Of Two Minds he had a much better idea of how to rewrite it than I did and in a rather sarcastic manner I believe I said something like, "If you're so smart why don't you do it."

So he did! At first Perry wrote the male character Coren and I wrote Lenora and we went back and forth like that draft after draft until I started getting annoyed with Coren who I thought was too weak and Perry started getting annoyed with Lenora who he thought was too bossy and at that point we started writing alternative drafts changing both characters and finally finding a happy medium.

The books are about a young woman and young man—one who can make anything she imagines real, and one who lives entirely in his imagination where reality is better than the physical world. The two are misfits in their worlds because neither likes or appreciates their gifts. So naturally their parents arrange for them to marry. Of course! Needless to say all does not go smoothly. Or even well. The two of them find themselves pitted against a particularly dangerous villain in the first book—and they can only survive—together—much to each other's dismay.