Reviews
In the Jerusalem Forest
Inspired by “The Pond,” a Hayim Nahman Bialik poem, this lovely picture book tells of a mother and daughter’s walk in a forest near Jerusalem. As they walk past a small pond, the girl observes their reflections in the pond, looking the same, but upside down. As the wind picks up, the… View →
Kol Hakavod: Way to Go!
A child who attends synagogue with his/her parents or travels to Israel may hear the congregation say, “Kol HaKavod,” but not know what the Hebrew expression means. This rhyming picture book explains the phrase using scenarios that a youngster can relate to, along with sweet, View →
Walk Till You Disappear
Miguel Abrano lives on the family horse ranch just outside Tucson in 1872. He is nearly 13 and thinks himself almost a man, certainly old enough to decide he would like to become a Catholic priest when he is adult. Still, his family treats him as if he is immature. One evening a… View →
A Dreidel in Time: A New Spin on an Old Tale
SAN DIEGO – Ah, the joys of time travel! San Diego author Marcia Berneger, a retired teacher, uses this device to imaginatively retell… View →
The Elephant in the Sukkah
What’s a performing elephant to do when his celebrity begins to wane and he is no longer sought after by his adoring audiences? Poor Henry the elephant is accustomed to acclaim and applause, and a quiet life holds no attraction for him. Retirement does not suit him one bit.… View →
Mr. Tempkin Climbs a Tree
This is a delightful picture book that conveys Jewish — and universal — themes of the importance of intergenerational friendship and helping one’s neighbors. The illustrations are brightly colored and contain many details for children to notice and focus on as they… View →
Fly Back, Agnes
“Fly Back, Agnes is a charming novel that I read in one sitting. Elizabeth Atkinson has crafted a quirky yet tender story that also manages to explore some of the deep challenges faced by today’s youth. I loved this book and am ready to pack my bags and head off to… View →
Baby's Blessings
“Overall, this book would make a wonderful gift for a Jewish family welcoming a new addition, as it certainly conveys the excitement and joy of having a little one in the house. A sweet celebration of a baby, full of Jewish tradition.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Chelm for the Holidays
“Chelm is a real Polish town in Poland, but more importantly, it is a mythical place where some very silly things happen. This collection includes stories about 10 Jewish festivals, including the weekly Shabbat. Some are adaptations of Jewish folktales, and some are original, but… View →
Kol Hakavod: Way to Go!
“The message is clear: How one conducts oneself throughout life is important—at school, in the community, and beyond.This expression of a core Jewish value should resonate with readers of all ethnic groups and faiths. (Picture book. 4-7)”―Kirkus Reviews View →
The American Dream?: A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Men, and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito
“A lovely, deceptively simple road trip memoir that revels in quirky discovery and quiet adventure while grappling with the anger and longing of one immigrant’s experience.”—Greg Pak, comic book writer View →
A Scarf for Keiko
“It’s 1942 and America is at war with the Empire of Japan. Sam’s elementary school class is knitting socks for soldiers and Sam is a terrible knitter. Keiko is a good knitter, but some kids at school don’t want anything to do with her because the Japanese have… View →
A Time Traveler's Theory of Relativity
“This is an incredible book, no matter which time universe you’re in. I couldn’t put it down. One of my favorite debut novels of the year.”—Erin Entrada Kelly, New York Times bestselling author and 2018 Newbery Medal winner View →
A Hoopoe Says Oop!: Animals of Israel
“Any author can find a rhyme for ‘cow’ or ‘moo.’ By the time they start school, most kids have read dozens of books about farm animals, but they may not have seen an ibex or a hyrax or a hoopoe. This board book would make an excellent compendium for children View →
Mitzvah Pizza
“This book may bring a surge of business to the Philadelphia pizzeria that inspired it. The walls of the Pizza Corner are covered with sticky notes, and at first Missy can’t figure out why. ‘Each sticky note,’ her father explains, ‘represents a piece of… View →
Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons
“Salas’s innovative language steals the show. . . . Multiple readings are in order: the first few may revolve around riddle solving, while subsequent ones will allow readers to savor the imaginative language and illustrations.”—The Horn Book Magazine View →
Light the Menorah!: A Hanukkah Handbook
“After so many years of celebrating Hanukkah, I thought there was nothing more to learn about the holiday but I was wrong. Jacqueline Jules has written an engaging picture book that I could easily see using with my grown-up family every year. There’s an introduction,… View →
All Eyes on Alexandra
“The Crane family wonders what to do with Alexandra Crane. She doesn’t follow in formation. She doesn’t march correctly. Instead, she likes to explore and flirt with danger. Saba Crane goes along with her and begins to understand Alexandra’s strengths. He sees that she correctly… View →
The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project
“How long has it been since you had a good laugh? This book is the one you’ve been waiting for. Witty, sharp, surprising—a refreshing read.”—Martha Brockenbrough, author of The Game of Love and Death View →
The World Needs Beautiful Things
“Bezalel and the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. But young Bezalel had an eye for beauty and loved to collect pretty things like shiny stones and colored strings, and place them into his ‘Beautiful Things Box.’ When it’s time to escape Egypt and wander through the… View →
And There Was Evening, And There Was Morning
“In the beginning, the world was created one day at a time, according to the Creation story of the Jewish tradition. Day by day, employing simple, descriptive, accessible language, Helfand and Zager describe the first seven days of our world. The first five days are each recounted… View →
The World of Minecraft
Booktalk: Explore the history and culture surrounding the Minecraft games, books, toys, and more. Snippet: Minecraft fans play in a vast world with almost unlimited freedom to be creative. But would you believe that the basic elements of Minecraft were created in only a… View →