Reviews
Grover and Big Bird's Passover Celebration
“Why is this book different from all other Passover picture books? For starters, a giant yellow bird finds the afikomen. But what else would you expect from a seder on Rechov Sumsum, the Israeli equivalent to Sesame Street? Big Bird and his pals serve as delightful seder hosts as… View →
Stones for Grandpa
“Writing a picture book about grief is a difficult job; Londner accomplishes it by writing about something else: life. This is a story that works because it has more detail than necessary. When the narrator is remembering his grandfather, he’s very… View →
Jeremy's Dreidel
“The good news is that Jeremy’s Dreidel (Kar-Ben Publishing) by Ellie Gellman, has been updated and re-released after 20 years. Parents and teachers never tired of sharing this classic 1992 Chanukah story on account of the emotional wallop it delivers and the discussions… View →
“Retold by a master storyteller, this new version of a classic tale is an all-around delight. Woven together with the joys of Sabbath celebrations are themes of generosity, hospitality, and the true meaning of wealth. The engaging prose and vibrant, colorful illustrations create a… View →
The Shabbat Princess
“If your reading group includes pink-loving girls who are perennially clothed in princess dresses, this book will be an immediate winner. From its rose-colored cover to its costume box full of gowns, this book will instantly appeal to fans of Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella while… View →
Dinosaur Goes to Israel
“Our AJL colleague, Diane Rauchwerger, has charmed children with stories featuring a dinosaur who celebrates Judaism. In this, her fourth book illustrated by Jason Wolff, Dino joins his human friend on a visit to Israel. The book does more than tell the… View →
Lights Out Shabbat
“Snowfalls are exciting, especially when they are rare, and this bright picture book captures the thrill of an unexpected storm in a small Georgia town, where a young Jewish boy describes how he celebrates Shabbat with his loving grandparents. On Friday night, the storm causes a… View →
“Kimmel brings satisfyingly warm detail to a well-known folktale, in an elegant picture book set long ago on the shores of Galilee. Joseph of Tiberius loves to celebrate the Sabbath by selecting choice ingredients when preparing food and inviting all to share dinner with him. When… View →
Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap
“It’s Hanukkah and Engineer Ari is off in his train to celebrate the holiday with his friends, Jessie and Nathaniel. He is carrying traditional sufganiyot (jelly donuts), dreidels, and Turkish coins. His Hannukiah (the correct name for the holiday candelabra) travels with… View →
“Ofanansky and Alpern offer a fresh take on Rosh Hashanah with this picture book tour of a bee farm. Readers follow a children’s class as students are shown how bees make honey. Color photographs and a running narrative combine to produce an easy-to-grasp book that is about science View →
Sammy Spider's First Simchat Torah
Sammy Spider, that curious arachnid who refuses to just spin webs, follows his boy companion Josh to a Simchat Torah service when he gets himself stuck on a syrupy candy apple atop a small Jewish flag. As in previous outings, the inquisitive spiderling learns about this important Jewish… View →
“More fun than most books aimed at teaching the sounds of letters, this picture book is a good read-aloud option for anxious parents and a natural for classrooms that celebrate ‘A’ week.”—Booklist View →
Africa Is Not a Country
“The title says it all. Instead of the ‘vanishing tribes’ view of one Africa with tourists from different countries photographing the animals and primitive people, this informative picture book celebrates the diversity of the 53 nations that make up the continent… View →
Sammy Spider's First Shavuot
In this addition to the series, Sammy the spider learns about Shavuot, which “celebrates the time when God gave the Torah to Moses.” He watches as the Shapiro family makes blintzes and reads parts of a small Torah scroll. The brightly colored paper-collage illustrations have… View →
Lots of Latkes: A Hanukkah Story
“The pleasant picture book communicates the joy of celebrating with friends.” View →
Drop by Drop: A Story of Rabbi Akiva
“How lovely to have this jewel-colored picture book to share the love story of Rachel and Akiva with elementary-age children. The man who became a famous sage at the end of the first century was too poor to attend school, and started his work life as an illiterate shepherd. And… View →
It's Spring!
“From the Celebrate the Seasons series, which includes It’s Fall (2001), this brightly illustrated picture book offers sensory impressions and childlike experiences representative of spring. Writing in first person from a boy’s point of view, Glaser proves an astute… View →
Too Many Cooks: A Passover Parable
“Anyone who has ever celebrated a family holiday in which food is a key component will appreciate this clever picture book.” —School Library Journal View →
Hanukkah Moon
Isobel is going to spend Hanukkah with her aunt Luisa. She is a little worried because her aunt has only just come from Mexico and Isobel wonders if her aunt will know ―how we celebrate Hanukkah here.‖ Her father tells his daughter that at Aunt Luisa’s house she will get to celebrate the View →