Reviews
Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Missing Kiddush Cup
“Penina ‘Pinky’ Bloom, a fourth grader at a Jewish day school, considers herself ‘the greatest kid detective in Brooklyn,’ and there are a few mysteries she needs to solve: Who is putting the Lotus Blossom Kosher Chinese Restaurant out of business? Why are… View →
An Unlikely Ballerina
“This is a fascinating read about the dancer who would someday be known as Alicia Markova. Lily Marks loves to stand on her tiptoes, but her legs are weak and crooked. Could dancing lessons help strengthen them? To everyone’s surprise, Lily proves to have a natural talent for View →
The Edelweiss Pirates
“Kurt’s older brother, Albert, is a member of the Edelweiss Pirates, a group of young people who are dedicated to resisting Hitler’s edicts. Hitler has outlawed jazz music, so the Edelweiss Pirates play it every chance they get. Kurt, who plays the trumpet, asks if he can join the… View →
Who's Got the Etrog?
“The pages of this story come alive with colorful, personable African animals. The tale takes place in Uganda, and the principal characters are Auntie Sanyu and the warthog. Auntie Sanyu builds a sukkah and then invites the animals to share in the festivities. Just like the holiday View →
And There Was Evening, And There Was Morning
“This new picture book about the world’s creation employs unusual, creative illustrations to deliver its story. The tale is told through rhymes of mixed quality. Following the structure of Genesis, the authors sum up each of the seven days with an appropriate, clever adjective. For View →
The World Needs Beautiful Things
“Bezalel is a slave in Egypt. Although his life is harsh, he sees beauty everywhere. To him, a feather, a smooth stone, and a piece of colored string are treasures to be cherished and stored in his Beautiful Things Box. When Pharaoh suddenly allows the Israelites to go free, and… View →
Search for the Shamir
“Twins Scarlett and Sam are off on another adventure; this time, their destination is King Solomon’s kingdom. They arrive to find the young king with no money and a dictum from God to build a temple. Despite Solomon’s reputed wisdom for solving all problems, building the… View →
Paulie's Passover Predicament
“Paulie, a moose (and moos-ician) can’t wait for Passover. He’s invited all his friends to join him in a heartfelt, slightly unconventional seder: pepper added to the salt water (so the pepper doesn’t get jealous), pinecones in the charoset, and so on. Even worse, he locks himself… View →
The Family with Two Front Doors
“Based on the childhood of the author’s grandmother, this story follows an Orthodox Jewish family in Lublin, Poland in the 1920s. The family, which includes nine children, is so large that they need two houses joined together—thus the title. The book presents customs that… View →
A Queen in Jerusalem
“Malka is disappointed that her mother doesn’t have time to make her a Purim costume, but her mother thinks she’s now old enough to make her own. Malka sadly walks through the streets of Jerusalem. She can sense the city’s excitement for the holiday, but struggles to feel… View →
A Heart Just Like My Mother's
“Anna, an introspective, creative, and self-deprecating young girl finds herself lacking compared to her elegant and fashionable mother. Contemplating her mother’s exciting escapades, she thinks of herself as not as creative, not as caring, and not as much fun. Anna’s devoted View →
Can You Hear a Coo, Coo?
“This board book tells the story of Noah’s Ark through simple and amusing illustrations accompanied by a text full of animal sounds and movement words. Reading the book is a lively, interactive learning experience. As children look at the color images of the animals, they can… View →
Tu B'Shevat Is Coming!
“How better to introduce young children to Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees, than through colorful pictures that show what the holiday is all about? In this colorful board book, a child can see a young family planting trees, feeding birds, and filling plates with… View →
Sadie's Snowy Tu B'Shevat
“Sadie is eager to celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees, by planting a tree in her backyard—even though the ground is covered in snow. Undeterred, she digs and digs, while beautifully illustrated visions of a magnificent tree—wearing the season-appropriate leaves of… View →
Koala Challah
“Cuddly animals, here koala bears, will remind you that challah is part of the Shabbat service as they deliver a story imbued with determination and perseverance that proves the positive results of these two fine character traits. Koala Lila wants to keep up with her two older sisters,… View →
The Missing Letters: A Dreidel Story
“One night, after the dreidel maker leaves his shop, the letters Nun, Hey, and Shin conspire to hide the soundly sleeping Gimels—since the Gimels are everyone’s favorite Hebrew letter and they always win. ‘Think about it,’ says one Shin to the other letters,… View →
The Six-Day Hero
“The opening scene in The Six-Day Hero takes place at a ceremony in celebration of Israel’s nineteenth birthday. Twelve-year-old Motti’s brother Gideon is on the dais being honored as an Independence Day baby. Motti can’t stand the boring, hot ceremony and wriggles out to… 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 →
Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam
“Based on an old folktale with both Jewish and Arabic roots, this version of the story focuses on Yaffa and Fatima, two neighbors who are Jewish and Muslim, respectively. The first half of the book sets up their friendship and lays out the different customs of each woman. Then hard View →
The Art Lesson: A Shavuot Story
“What could be better to bring home the meaning of a Jewish holiday, especially the spring harvest holiday of Shavuot, which shows God’s gift of Torah to the Jewish people, than a book about making art! Shavuot is usually celebrated either by staying up one night of Shavuot… View →
The Flower Girl Wore Celery
“Emma’s older cousin Hannah is getting married, and she wants Emma to be the flower girl and wear a celery (colored) dress. Emma also learns that she is going to walk down the aisle with someone named Jacob who is the ring bear[er]. In the spirit of Amelia Bedelia, Emma imagines… View →
Under the Sabbath Lamp
“Izzy and Olivia Bloom, new to the neighborhood, have become everyone’s favorite Shabbat dinner guests. Eventually, the Blooms have an opportunity to host all of their new friends for Shabbat dinner. The table is beautifully set, but where are the Shabbat candles? Mystified, the… View →