Reviews
Elmer and Super El
“The spreads are done in vivid colors and have everything Elmer fans have come to expect. This adorable tale shows young readers that even superheroes need help once in a while.” —School Library Journal 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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
‘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 →
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 →
Freedom!: Book 1
“Balthazar’s charming artwork…primarily uses Annie’s eyes and ears to express her many emotions.” —Booklist View →
Last Chance
“McClintock keeps her writing at a level simple and clear enough to attract both middle-school and reluctant high-school readers. She portrays both Robyn and Nick as flawed people, but both learn and grow, finally making both interesting and attractive characters…. Great for… 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 →
The King Who Wouldn't Sleep
“Swain’s dynamic and appealing watercolor-and–color-pencil illustrations add charm, whimsy and amusing details to the happily-ever-after tale.” —Kirkus Reviews 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 →
“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 →
“A heaping plateful of adventure, spiced to perfection with dangers, deft humor and silly bits.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
Grandma Rose's Magic
“A well-stitched tale about generosity for people of all faiths.” —Kirkus Reviews View →