Reviews
Marco Polo: Dangers and Visions
“In this lush graphic novel import, Tabilio makes a virtue of uncertainty. . . . [G]raphic novel readers accustomed to nonlinear, image-dependent storytelling will be right at home puzzling out the boundaries between imagination and reality and reveling in Tabilio’s intricate View →
The Best Sukkot Pumpkin Ever
“Micah and his family arrive at Farmer Jared’s pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin for their family’s sukkah (a temporary shelter erected for the week-long Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot). Jared explains that many of the pumpkins he grows will be donated View →
Paper Butterflies
“June’s story is all the more heartbreaking because her visceral account, though fiction, is undoubtedly a reality for children suffering from abuse behind closed doors. . . . [T]his novel, a 2017 Carnegie Medal nominee in Great Britain, manages to end on a hopeful… View →
The Cholent Brigade
“Mr. Monty Nudelman is a mensch (good person). On Friday morning following a big storm, he happily shovels snow from the sidewalks, alleys and front porches of his neighbors so they can prepare for Shabbat. When he does not show up for Shabbat services on Saturday morning, View →
Rosie Saves the World
“Caring for the world and people in need around the globe is an essential Judaic value, and so is Areyvut (Jews being responsible for one another). Rosie learns in Hebrew class about Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world by doing good deeds, and sets off to do just… View →
“[E]ncourages children to accept and embrace their differences, and to develop friendships with others who may differ from themselves.”—School Library Journal View →
Way Too Many Latkes: A Hanukkah in Chelm
“Glaser (author of Stone Soup with Matzoh Balls, BCCB 3/14) returns for a second visit to Chelm, the village of fools from Jewish folklore; now it’s the first night of Hanukkah and Faigel can’t remember her latke recipe. She knows she uses… View →
The Whispering Town
“This picture book with a graphic novel sensibility tells the story of a young girl, Anett, whose family is harboring Jewish refugees in a Danish fishing village. Anett brings food to the mother and child hidden in her cellar, and helps guide them to boats on one moonless night.… View →
Koala Challah
“Lila, a little koala, sees how her older sisters get to show off their eucalyptus-themed Shabbat specialties (Rachel makes eucalyptus oil candles, Naomi makes eucalyptus wine) and yearns to be part of the preparations. But as Mommy gently but firmly explains, her helpfulness can… View →
¡Es un camaleón! (It's a Chameleon!)
“An excellent introduction to chameleons and a useful addition to Spanish-nonfiction children’s collections.”—Booklist View →
“[An] empathetic look at a Turkana boy’s deferred dreams and a family’s struggle for a resource taken for granted by most American children strikes an important chord for families.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Belinda the Unbeatable
“Adults will appreciate the gentle message of good sportsmanship, while children will be caught up in the adventure of this wonderful addition to wordless comics for young readers.”—starred, Booklist View →
Moti the Mitzvah Mouse
“Lots of people commit acts of mischief when no one is looking. Moti the mouse secretly commits good deeds. Moti lives under the kitchen sink in the home of a white, Jewish family, but he sometimes sneaks out to perform a ‘mitzvah.’ The term is a traditional Hebrew word View →
Drop by Drop: A Story of Rabbi Akiva
“A devoted wife is the inspiration behind a noted scholar of Judaism. Rachel, a rich man’s daughter, falls in love with a poor, illiterate shepherd named Akiva who works for her father. She recognizes that a man ‘with such goodness in his heart, who understood so much… View →
Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship
“In tantalizing free verse poems, Irene Latham and Charles Waters reimagine themselves as fifth-grade strangers, then classmates, and finally friends. Can I Touch Your Hair? is a compelling portrait of two youngsters dancing delicately through a racial minefield.”—J. View →
There's a Walrus in My Bed!
“A humorous bedtime story that children will recognize as a twist on their own experiences.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
The Search for Olinguito: Discovering a New Species
“Helgen’s identification of a topic for study and the years-long trajectory of his research are laid out in economical, orderly chapters, supplemented with large photos and and maps that are nicely adapted to science-classroom use.”—The Bulletin of the Center for… View →
If You Were the Moon
“[B]oth a wonderful bedtime read and a versatile early science resource for young children in group settings.”—School Library Journal View →
The Cricket and the Ant: A Shabbat Story
“This book was originlly published in Hebrew under the title Can You Spare a Grain of Sugar? by a well-known Israeli children’s author and is a best seller in Israel. It is an adaptation of one of Aesop’s Fables. A happy little cricket sings all week long… View →
Talia and the Haman-tushies
“In this next installment in this picture book series about misheard words and Jewish life, Talia visits her Grandma around Purim time, and Grandma tells her the story of Purim while they make Hamantaschen together. Talia thinks Grandma has called them ‘Haman-tushies,’… View →
What Girls Are Made Of
“Pair this with McGinnis’ The Female of the Species for a nuanced look at the complications of girlhood.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
Camp So-and-So
“[E]nthralling, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful. . . . A series of mysteries, a diverse and ambitious large cast, satisfying villains, and memorable notes on friendship—there’s a lot to like here.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
I Want a Friend!
“[A] perfect prompt to discuss bullying and cliques with children, to affirm the importance of friendship, and to introduce the concept of empathy.”—School Library Journal View →
Passover Scavenger Hunt
“Great Uncle Harry is terrible at hiding the afikomen. All the kids anticipate his usual hiding places, and so the search isn’t very fun. But young Rachel hatches a clever plan and offers him the option to let her hide the matzo this year. She then creates a family scavenger hunt… View →