Reviews
Drowning Instinct
“The novel begins slowly but quickly builds steam—and controversy—with unexpected turns and revelations. Neither the victims nor the predators are stereotypical and that ambiguity, while unsettling, is sure to spark discussion.” —School Library Journal View →
The Shabbat Princess
“This isn’t your typical spoiled princess book; you know the contemporary fairy tale versions in which Cinderella becomes a princess without paying any dues first. Contemporary princess just stamps her little feet and gets what she wants. Nope, this book shows a family… View →
“Spielman’s excellent biography of the Master of Mime engages one from the outset by introducing young Marcel as he is raiding his father’s wardrobe to dress up as Charlie Chaplin and entertain neighbors on the streets of pre-World War II France. We see that Marceau was, from his… View →
“Yale Strom is an internationally-acclaimed musician and a professor at San Diego State University; he is also a gifted story-teller. His publisher, Kar-Ben, specializes in Jewish-themed children’s books, and the collaboration here of writer, artist, and publisher is ideal. View →
“Jodie lives in Israel and wants to become an archaeologist just like her father. When her American cousin Zach visits during Passover, her father brings them to Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem. Before they go in the tunnel, her father challenges them to figure out the ‘riddle View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Izzy the Whiz has invented a gadget that every mom preparing for Passover would love to have: a wacky vacuum-washer thingamajig that will swallow everything in a room, spin it clean, remove the hametz and spit it out. But what if the Super-McDuper Passover McClean machine View →
“Expressive animal characters stand in for people, but their activities and the objects they use, from hairbrushes to running shoes, all relate solidly to a youngster’s experience. Cheery pen-and-ink illustrations pop off the background, which makes effective use of white… View →
Feet and Puppies, Thieves and Guppies: What Are Irregular Plurals?
“Crazy costumes, silly glasses, and comical expressions keep the mood as light as the author’s bouncy narration…. This volume is a great addition to classroom and library collections.” —School Library Journal View →
Lights Out Shabbat
“In her first children’s book, Shulimson tells a sweet story about keeping the Sabbath even when the unexpected occurs. When a snowstorm knocks out the power at his grandparents’ house in Georgia soon after the Shabbat candles are lit, a little boy finds that a Sabbath without… View →
Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles
“Jacob’s older brother, Nathan, celebrates the lighting of the menorah in his own unique way, as he does everything else, by blowing out the candles as soon as they are lit. Nathan exhibits behavior that we associate with autism, but Jacob just finds it annoying. He is thrilled… View →
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller
“Nelson and Christie deliver an engrossing blend of history, art, and storytelling in this deeply moving tribute to a singular individual.”—starred, Publishers Weekly View →
‘Interweaving history and adventure, Levine (Running on Eggs) takes young readers on a Passover trip worth pursuing. When Jodie’s cousin Zach visits for Passover, she and her siblings want to take him on a variety of trips to help him see all aspects of Israel. Jodie, in… View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Pre-Passover cleaning gets a fun twist in this rhyming tale. Izzy, an amateur inventor, has created a mother’s ultimate dream: a house-cleaning machine, and just in time for Passover. Izzy knows that all the crumbs in his home must be removed before the holiday, and his invention… View →
Hannah's Way
“Hannah’s Way is an American Jewish story that has not been told in picture books before. The time is the 1920s and the place is Northeastern Minnesota, a rural iron mining area called the Iron Range. After her father loses his job in Minneapolis, Hannah’s family moves to… 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 →
Barnyard Purim
“Purim is a time for pretending—a time for little girls to dress up as courageous queens and for little boys to sprout fake beards and masquerade as Mordecai or Haman. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Farmer Max’s livestock decide to stage their own Purim play. Chicken channels… View →
Grandma Rose's Magic
“What goes around comes around arrives in a sweet way in the form of a sewing grandmother who always does something extra. Her mitzvot (good deeds) do not go unnoticed, supporting the surprise ending. Grandma Rose sews for young and old: clothes, blankets, table cloths, dolls. She… View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie’s synagogue preschool is spending the week preparing for Shavuot, the culmination of which will be a mountain hike, similar to Moshe ascending Mount Sinai. Sadie does not like hiking, and as the class makes walking sticks, learns the Ten Commandments, and makes blintzes,… View →
Lights Out Shabbat
“A rare snowstorm in Georgia knocks out the electricity one Friday night just as Shabbat begins. A boy spends the visit with his grandparents playing in the snow and enjoying their time together. Just after Havdalah (the end of the Jewish Sabbath), the power is restored. ‘It… View →
Kill Me Softly
“Cross, who knows her fairy tales, weaves a number of them into her story, giving them interesting twists as she applies them to her vulnerable and rebellious teen characters….Clever fun.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
“Sprightly black-and-white, pen-and-ink spot illustrations enliven the brief chapters, which are filled with earnest, clever kids being funny—and, more importantly, smart.” —Booklist View →
Drowning Instinct
“Bick, a child psychiatrist, writes about dysfunction with a professional’s insight, and she goes to great pains to create believable characters…and dramatizes dysfunction and disorder in ways that will attract readers and offer opportunities for classroom… View →
Spotty, Stripy, Swirly: What Are Patterns?
“Parents and teachers looking for a concept book on patterns will find this a rich collection of photos that can spark any number of discussions around the subject.” —Booklist View →