Reviews
Lights Out Shabbat
“Our young narrator tells of an unusual snowstorm in Georgia on a Friday night. He is spending the Jewish Sabbath at his grandparents’ when, after they light the Shabbat candles, the lights go out. They eat the delicious Shabbat dinner, ‘But the lights do not come… View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Izzy the whiz kid has created the perfect invention, just in time for Passover. Izzy is no ordinary kid; he is an amateur inventor. His mother is experiencing Passover blues as she is trying to tidy the house for Passover and rid it of any hametz. Izzy has just the… View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie loves going to preschool at Temple Beth El where she sings songs, climbs on the tall gym outdoors, dresses up in costumes, and plays with her classmates. But on Monday, when her teacher tells the children about the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, Sadie gets nervous. She learns… View →
A Leaf Can Be . . .
“Each spread is bursting with natural wonder, and while the animals are cute rather than realistic, the art creatively and effectively supports the text’s evocation of the leafy world. This is an ideal curricular introduction to a unit on leaves, but it will also find plenty… View →
“Hand this to aspiring sailors and chefs alike—but advise them to take a snack along for the journey, as the focus on food is sure to inspire a few rumbling bellies.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
The Shabbat Princess
“If your reading group includes pink-loving girls who are perennially clothed in princess dresses, this book will be an immediate winner. From its rose-colored cover to its costume box full of gowns, this book will instantly appeal to fans of Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella while… View →
“All Jodie dreams about is being a famous archaeologist, just like her dad. As a prize for finding the afikomen at the Passover seder, Jodie is given a new flashlight, so she invites her cousin, Zach, to join her and her father at Hezekiah’s Tunnel, a famous archeological site in… View →
Barnyard Purim
“Farmer Max is heading off to a Purim play and the animals on the farm are a wee bit jealous, so they decide to re-enact one themselves. Chicken decides to direct and assign parts to the other animals. Horse will play King Ahashuerus, Duck will be Queen Esther, Goat will be… View →
The Queen Who Saved Her People
“This book is an imaginative take on the tried and true Purim story. King Ahashuerus is looking for a queen. His loyal followers find Esther, a young and beautiful Jewish girl, who the king selects to be his wife. She lives with her cousin Mordechai, who persuades her to hide her… View →
“Spielman’s understated picture book biography covers fascinating events of Marceau’s early life. At sixteen, he and his brother fled the Nazis and became active in the French Resistance. Because of his ability to entertain, Marcel was tapped to smuggle Jewish children… View →
Hannah's Way
“Hannah is having difficulty adjusting to her new life on the Iron Range in Depression-era Minnesota. She has yet to make friends when her teacher announces that the class will be going on a picnic on Saturday and the children should arrange car pools. As an observant Jew, Hannah… View →
Not a Buzz to Be Found: Insects in Winter
“Glaser details the winter survival techniques of a dozen different insects. Short, rhythmic lines explain each insect’s adaptations (field cricket: ‘Safely hidden, you’d wait and wait’). Evocative paintings move from colorful fall to icy winter and finally… 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 →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean (Kar-Ben, $7.95) is written for slightly older children, ages 3–8, but also has an infectious energy and sense of fun. Written in rhyme, it celebrates the ingenuity of Izzy, an amateur inventor, who creates a machine to clean the house… View →
“When Marcel Mangel was a little boy, his father took him to see a Charlie Chaplin movie. Marcel was amazed to see that the comic actor was able to make people laugh out loud even though he did not say a word. This uncanny ability made Marcel want to be just like Charlie, and he… 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 →
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 →
Beep and Bah
“Burks’ digitally created illustrations are appealingly cartoonish, with exaggeratedly angular animals and bright, candy colors (a few landscapes call Dr. Seuss to mind)…. This will be a perfect fit for kids drawn to graphic novels but not quite ready for a full-length… View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“If you got rid of your sister and the fish in the pot, gave your mom a migraine, and invited the Cat in the Hat to clean up the house for Passover, you just might get this book. When Izzy the Whiz is admonished by his stressed-out mother for a bedroom crammed with Passover… 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 →
The Girl Who Owned a City: The Graphic Novel
“Jones’s illustrations are shaded in brown and green earth tones and are filled with movement and life. The faces of the children are angular and interesting, looking realistically like kids who have been struggling to survive. This will be an ideal recommendation for readers 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 →
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 →