Reviews
Miriam at the River
“An enlightening note at the end of the book includes the biblical story on which this book is based, with mention of the three times in Miriam’s life where water is significant” — Anne Dublin, retired librarian of Holy Blossom Temple and author of A Cage Without Bars… View →
Hard Hat Cat!
“The lively, poetic language, sprinkled with Hebrew words (glossary included), and the cheerful illustrations portraying life in an Israeli neighborhood combine to make this a delightful tale.” — Martha McMahon, Sinai Akiba Academy, Los Angeles View →
My Sister Is Sleeping
" A good pick for a story time about baby siblings or being patient, with young readers soon supplying the Hebrew words." — Chava Pinchuck, Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel; Past Chair, Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee View →
Clarence's Topsy-Turvy Shabbat
“Clarence is a lovable fool, and it’s so nice to have a new twist on a Shabbat story.” — Rachel Glasser, retired librarian, Yavneh Academy, Teaneck, NJ View →
Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom
“With few words on each page, a modern Sephardic family prepares for and then celebrates Shabbat while introducing a variety of Ladino words. This is a fun and new concept for a board book. The illustrations are charming. All males are wearing kippot. The publisher notes that both… View →
I Love Matzah
“A toddler (and later his baby brother) eats matzah all day long during Passover. For breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack, he shares the various ways he likes it—with milk, with jam, with cheese, etc. Not a lot here, but this little rhyming story is very useful in sharing the… View →
Alligator Seder
“Here is a rhyming Passover board book with a funny story that features Jewish alligators in Florida. The seder rituals are highlighted as a large family of alligators celebrates Passover in the swampy Everglades. They apparently live in a regular house, wear kippot or pearl… View →
You're the Cheese in My Blintz
“A delightful poem is the essence of this adorable board book about how much families love their little ones. With such lines as ‘You’re the kick in my hora, you’re the potato in my knish, You’re the lights on my menorah, and the star on which I wish,’ it… View →
Shalom Bayit
“A lovely book with a message of the peace of nature around us includes the Jewish concept of shalom bayit in a successful way. The illustrations will be super appealing to young children and the possibilities for kids to point out various animals and learn about their homes is… View →
Havdalah Is Coming!
“This is the ninth in the series, and it provides a good introduction to Havdalah, the end-of -Shabbat ritual that is often overlooked by non-observant families. Different aspects of the ritual are shown: ‘Braided candle we’ll light to brighten the night. Havdalah is… View →
An Unlikely Ballerina
“This long-overdue picture book biography of Alicia Markova, née Lily Marks (1910–2004), is a pleasure to behold. In clear and concise prose, the author tells the story of a talented Jewish girl born in London, England who loved to dance, overcame adversity, and eventually became a View →
Dreidel Day
“Join a playful, cuddly kitty to spin, bounce, tumble, hop, and more, from one to eight on Hanukkah. Each full color spread offers a numeral, an action, a cute pose for the kitty to match the action named, and the appropriate number of dreidels to match each numeral. Each double… View →
Light the Menorah!: A Hanukkah Handbook
“True to its subtitle, this is a resource for families observing the Festival of Lights at home. The candle blessings – in Hebrew, transliteration, and English – are followed by free verse poems and brief reflections to read on each of the eight nights of the holiday. The poems… View →
The Edelweiss Pirates
“Set in Germany in 1938, this story’s young narrator, Kurt, longs to be an anti-Nazi activist like his older brother, who is a member of the resistance group, the Edelweiss Pirates. Their risky activities include distributing anti-Hitler leaflets, painting over Nazi symbols, and… View →
All Eyes on Alexandra
“The Crane family wonders what to do with Alexandra Crane. She doesn’t follow in formation. She doesn’t march correctly. Instead, she likes to explore and flirt with danger. Saba Crane goes along with her and begins to understand Alexandra’s strengths. He sees that she correctly… View →
Pickled Watermelon
“Molly is looking forward to spending the summer at camp with her friends when her parents tell her about a change in plans. She will be visiting her father’s family in Israel instead, spending an entire month staying with them and getting to know them. Her paternal grandparents… View →
A Heart Just Like My Mother's
“Anna’s mother is renowned for her kindness, creativity, and outgoing humor, which makes Anna feel they have nothing in common and that she will never live up to her mother’s exceptional qualities. After noticing a hungry man asking for money outside their frequently visited deli,… View →
Gabriel's Horn
“Kimmel first adapted I.L. Peretz’s story ‘Seven Years’ for his collection Days of Awe: Stories for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Viking Press, 1991). Here is another version of the story in picture book format with a modern boy as the main… View →
Rosh Hashanah Is Coming!
“Two young children celebrate the Jewish New Year by making a round challah, blowing the shofar, dipping apples in honey, delighting in a juicy pomegranate, putting on new clothes, and enjoying a festive holiday meal with family. As with its predecessors, Shabbat Is… View →
The Cricket and the Ant: A Shabbat Story
“Most readers are familiar with Aesop’s fable, ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper.’ It tells the story of the grasshopper who lazes away the summer days while the ant works industriously to save food for the winter. However, when winter comes, the grasshopper goes View →
Meg Goldberg on Parade
“You don’t have to be a New Yorker to enjoy Meg Goldberg on Parade.” — AJL Reviews View →
Shalom Everybodeee!: Grover's Adventures in Israel
“Enjoy your visit to Israel – you’ll learn a lot and smile from cover to cover.” — AJL Reviews View →
Passover Is Coming!
“Teachers and families will enjoy sharing this book with toddlers.” — AJL Reviews View →
