Reviews
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 →
Yossi and the Monkeys: A Shavuot Story
“Only peripherally about Shavuot, this story is reminiscent of the classic Caps for Sale, in that it involves caps (kippahs) and monkeys. Yossi has no money for challah or blintzes to celebrate Shavuot, so his wife Malka makes three kippahs for Yossi to sell in the market. View →
Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup
“Sophie has two grandmas, one Jewish and one Chinese. Both make chicken soup, one with carrots and kreplach, one with green onions and wontons. Whose soup is better? This touchy subject is nicely resolved when Sophie invites both grandmas to bring over soup for lunch. As the… View →
Hanukkah Delight!
“Award-winning children’s book author and past poet laureate of Northhampton, Massachusetts, Newman needs only a single line of text on each page to convey the rituals—and fun—of Hanukkah to the very littlest ones in this happy board book. The joy of the holiday is further enhanced View →
“The twins, Sophie and Seth, along with their parents, enjoy a picnic lunch on Shabbat, their favorite day of the week. After saying the motzi over challah, drinking cider, and eating fruit and cheese, they run off to the barn where they discover twin newborn calves. Rhyming… View →
Joseph the Dreamer
“This colorfully illustrated retelling of the Biblical story is presented as an engaging, graphic novel featuring Joseph and his family. The classic story is brought to life with vivid colors and clearly written text. Readers will be captivated by this version of a story with which View →
Sammy Spider's First Bar Mitzvah
“Everyone’s favorite little spider is back with a new adventure and a new topic with which to educate young readers and listeners about Jewish life and culture. This latest escapade lands him at Josh’s cousin’s bar mitzvah where he watches the proceedings with… View →
A Concert in the Sand
“This warm, delicious, slim volume is bona fide historical fiction about the first concert by the orchestra that will become the Israel Philharmonic. Humor laced mobile illustrations support the story of a mysterious walk that Uri, a young boy, takes with his grandmother in Tel… View →
A Different Kind of Passover
“Jessica can’t imagine Passover without her beloved grandfather, but this year he is in bed, recovering from a hospital stay and therefore unable to lead the family seder. This night is supposed to be different from all other nights, but this is the wrong kind of different, Jessica View →
A Hanukkah with Mazel
“Misha, a poor but talented artist, lives by himself on the edge of a small village. So begins a tender and hopeful story of kindness, compassion and generosity. On a bitterly cold night before Hanukkah, Misha finds a shivering cat in his barn. ‘I’ll call you Mazel,’ he View →
“Shh…Shh…Shabbat is the perfect book to read with your favorite little one after Friday night dinner every Shabbat. Highly recommended for ages infant – 3.” — Jewish Book Council View →
Shmulik Paints the Town
“Humorous illustrations use black lines and grayscale as a backdrop for Ezra’s brightly colored creations. This is a light-hearted and attractive book that can be used to supplement holiday collections in libraries and schools and can teach about Israel at home.”… View →