Reviews
It's Hanukkah Time!
“Coloured photographs of radiant faces, intense concentration, the fun of doing, the joy of achieving, the special love between grandchildren and grandparents—all that and more make It’s Hanukkah Time! a perfect book for preschoolers.” View →
Rosh Hashanah: A Family Service
“Whether these books are used for family services or as checklists for discussing the High Holidays with young children, they are a welcome, thought-provoking addition to the Jewish Kid Lit.” View →
Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam
“In this unique retelling of the classic ‘Brothers’ legend, the title characters are two women – one Jewish, one Muslim—living side-by side in Jerusalem. The women work together harvesting dates, and often share meals. They practice their faiths, which the book… 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 →
Her Piano Sang: A Story about Clara Schumann
“Written in a clear and lively style. A worthwhile purchase.” —School Library Journal View →
Nightmare on Zombie Island: Book 5
“Young readers will devour every page and follow the chain of events leading to each scene of happy or horrible ending. Don’t miss out on these excellent titles – they’re great for getting children who ‘hate reading’ to change their mind.”… View →
Captured by Pirates: Book 1
“Pirates allows readers to control where the story goes, using both fairly lengthy prose and comic-book-style pages to move it along. The medium works well with the second-person narration, and Witt’s illustrations provide an excellent reflection of the tone… View →
“. . .the text is spare, elemental, and without a preachy word.” —Booklist View →
In the past century, Jews, as well as other peoples, have increasingly been marrying out of the faith, merging cul-tures and religions into families. This book represents an attempt to deal with this issue as a young girl struggles to understand how she and her grandfather are related… View →
Mendel's Accordion
“This book is upbeat and delightful, demonstrating that amidst hardships, music can keep people alive and energetic.” View →
Colors of Japan
“The soft, fluid, in some cases almost monochromatic pictures suit the narrative.” —School Library Journal View →
Between the Dragon and the Eagle
“. . . there are interesting episodes along the journey, good period background, and an interesting plot.” —School Library Journal View →
Sammy Spider's Shabbat Fun Book
“…a fun and innovative introduction to the Jewish practice of Shabbat. Sammy Spider’s Shabbat Fun Book is very highly recommended as a fun learning tool about this Jewish celebration event.” View →
Mallory on Board
“Readers will enjoy the details of the cruise and the fancy wedding arrangements on board. The book is well designed, and the frequent black-and-white illustrations enhance this easy chapter book. There is bonus end matter, featuring Mallory’s spring break report and a… View →
Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely: What Is an Adverb?
“A playful, rhyming text and cartoon art vividly explain adverbs and their functions.” —Publishers Weekly View →
Dino-Hockey
“In this fast-paced and wild hockey championship, the carnivores in red jerseys (Meat-Eaters) take on the herbivores in green (Veggiesaurs). Clever rhyming couplets keep the game lively and slip in facts about dinosaurs (‘Socks and jerseys keep them warm/cold-blooded beasts View →
Rhyme and PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay
“The man behind the Words Are CATegorical series here introduces puns galore via homophones and homonyms. . . factoids and visual clues help to decipher the meaning of the puns.” —Publishers Weekly View →
Hanukkah Hippity-Hop
“A clever and entertaining story that will brighten library shelves during the Hanukkah season.”—School Library Journal View →
Clinging Sea Horses
“Numerous full-color photos capture the eye.” —School Library Journal View →
Eight Wild Nights: A Family Hanukkah Tale
“Elementary-aged children will laugh and giggle at both the text and pictures in this refreshing and hilarious Hanukkah tale.” View →
The Ziz and the Hanukkah Miracle
“…the value of friendship, working together, and even Tikkun Olam are nicely woven into the story.” View →
Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book
“This ambitious book provides colorful collages, hidden letters, word pictures, and alphabet sentences presented in rhyme while avoiding many of the pitfalls of the genre. By melding together nonsensical sentences that are as wacky as the illustrations, Cleary opens up the field… View →
Honestly, Mallory!
“Mallory’s friends take a backseat in this episode, as she faces the internal turmoil that comes with knowing you’ve done something wrong, and young readers will empathize with her. . . Recommend this book to fans of Amber Brown, Judy Moody, Junie B. Jones, and the… View →