Reviews
Hannah's Way
“After Hannah’s father loses his job during the Depression, the family moves to a rural town in northern Minnesota where he will work in his brother’s general store. Hannah is not only the new girl in her class; she’s also the only Jewish child in the whole school. When the teacher View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Forget the candle and the feather—here is a charming book for children that tackles the topic of chametz cleaning through a feat of magical engineering. It’s a funny, rhymed tale of a whiz kid, named Izzy, who wants to give his harried mother a break from Passover cleaning. He… View →
Hannah's Way
“After Papa loses his job during the Great Depression, Hannah and her family move from Minneapolis to rural Minnesota, and suddenly she is the only Jewish student in her school. Hannah hopes that a weekend class picnic could be her opportunity to make friends, but her hopes are… View →
Hannah's Way
“Hannah smiled as she folded her hands in front of her on her desk when Miss Hartley declared, ‘This Saturday is our fall picnic.’ Her family had just moved from Minneapolis to northern Minnesota and it would be the perfect time to make a few new friends. Hannah’s heart 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 →
“The noteworthy life of Marcel Marceau, born Marcel Mangel, is explored in this attractive picture book. Adults who are familiar with his famous work as a mime will be interested in his early experiences as a young boy growing up in Strasbourg, France on the eve of World War II. In View →
“In this sequel to the Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride, Engineer Ari drives his train from Jerusalem to Jaffa, stopping along the way to collect fruit, branches, and a lulav and etrog from the friends he has made along his new… View →
Ancient Medical Technology: From Herbs to Scalpels
“The design is modern, with text supported by sidebars, quotes, and colorful photographs and captioned illustrations. The authors (a medical journalist and a school librarian) explore not only what early health care was but what archaeology has revealed about it, and include a time View →
Yuvi's Candy Tree
“Though neither the story nor the author’s note explicitly state why the refugees are fleeing Ethiopia (mostly famine), readers should finish the book with a strong sense of their strength, faith, and determination.” —Publishers Weekly View →
Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah
“With its ‘little engine that could’ vibe and comic book-style illustrations, Maccabee! is sure to entertain young readers as well as inform them on the origins of Hanukkah. Harrington’s bold art creates a sense of energy and determination while… View →
Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
There are a number of books about the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, but very few are set in Israel. This story is based on the trip of the first train from Jerusalem to Jaffa in 1897, shortening the time between the coast and the city from three days to three hours. Cohen turns this… View →
Zishe, a poor Polish Jew and a blacksmith’s son, displayed unusual strength from the time he was three years old. Able to lift heavy weights, bend steel bars and break metal chains, Zishe was soon recruited by a variety of circuses to perform throughout Europe and later the United States View →
“Gouache on textured paper emulate pointillism, depicting fall foliage dominated by auburn, brown and green colors. An author’s note encourages families to find unique ways to practice this low-impact yet spiritually rich custom.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein
“The reader learns about Albert Einstein’s beliefs and private life. His unprecedented contributions to science were addressed with unusual clarity.” —Authors note View →
Hush Harbor: Praying in Secret
“Illustrated with extremely stylized pictures that don’t prettify their subjects, this captures some of the fear and horror associated with slavery. However, it’s the detailed author’s note that will really give kids insight into the subject. A good choice for… View →
The Art Lesson: A Shavuot Story
“This story is based on Eastern European Jews’ custom of decorating their windows with Jewish-themed papercuts during the Shavuot holiday. Children should enjoy this cleverly imagined tale of a girl who loves spending time doing art projects with her talented grandmother. Young… View →
![Cover: The Magic Pomegranate: [A Jewish Folktale]](https://assets2.titleleaf.com/lerner/product/cover/s_9780822567424_fc.jpg)
The Magic Pomegranate: [A Jewish Folktale]
“Hall’s imaginative illustrations in jewel tones add to the fairy-tale qualities of the story, and an author’s note, glossary and suggested reading extend the use of the volume.” —Kirkus View →
Hush Harbor: Praying in Secret
“Banks’s oversized, almost muralistic figures reflect the strength of the Africans’ spirits and their tremendous physicality. The red outlines used throughout evoke both warmth and danger as the characters steal away to their meeting place. Evans handles the issue… View →
Sam Bennett's New Shoes
“Thermes’s tale is chock-full of historical facts and tidbits. Her detailed illustrations show much about 18th-century life but stay focused on the central narrative. An author’s note explains that hidden shoes in the walls of old houses, called concealments, inspired View →
Sarah Laughs
Jules retells and expands upon the story of Sarah, wife of Abraham. This quiet version, informed by biblical scholarship and legend, emphasizes Sarah’s feelings and faith. The illustrations’ curved lines and soothing colors match the book’s calm tone; this is an epic… View →
A gentile grandfather tells his Jewish granddaughter the story of Jethro (Moses’s Midianite father-in-law) and his Jewish grandson, Moses’s son Gershom. The parallels between modern-day family and the biblical one are effective, but the storytelling is confusing. An… View →
Hanukkah Moon
As Da Costa reminds us in an author’s note that precedes the story, Hanukkah "celebrates a time more than 2,000 years ago, when a small group of Jews fought an army of Syria and took back the holy city of Jerusalem. "When the Jews rededicated their temple and lit the… View →
Willie McLean and the Civil War Surrender
“These beginning readers offer basic historical overviews in story format. Both books have clear, unencumbered texts complemented by serviceable period art in color and an author’s note. These books offer perfunctory descriptions and interpretations for readers just… View →
The Star-Spangled Banner
“Both books have clear, unencumbered texts complemented by serviceable period art in color and an author’s note. These books offer perfunctory descriptions and interpretations for readers just becoming interested in history or embarking on a museum visit.”… View →