Reviews
Auma's Long Run
“In Auma’s Long Run, Eucabeth Odhiambo shares an unflinching look at the AIDS epidemic’s impact on one Kenyan village and introduces readers to a determined heroine with a commitment to knowledge and a fierce dedication to her family.… View →
Gus's Garage
“[A]n amusing book to reread, since even the smallest details are assigned a narrative purpose. Clearly, one animal’s clutter is another pig’s livelihood in this buoyant, rhyming tale.”—The New York Times Book Review 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 →
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 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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Shy Girl & Shy Guy
“This is series fiction, but it’s a step above the usual breathless horsey fare, with well-drawn characters and realistic horse situations. . . . A good book to hand out to horse-crazy kids.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Primary-grade math concepts come into play when a club must decide the best way to sell their charity popcorn. The Community Champions are a varied cast of kids—an unobtrusive mix of genders, races, and one who uses a wheel-chair—who do good works around town. Occasionally… View →
Passover Scavenger Hunt
“Silva makes her children’s book debut with the warmhearted story of a family’s Passover seder, during which one of the young cousins, Rachel, gets fed up with how bad her Great-Uncle Harry is at hiding the afikomen. Taking the initiative, Rachel organizes a scavenger hunt for her… View →
Tickle My Ears
It’s late, and the Little Rabbit must go to bed, so toddlers are invited to help him settle down in this bedtime storybook. This sweet board book, originally published in German, invites toddlers to participate in Little Rabbit’s bedtime ritual and then rewards them for… View →
The Ghosts in the Clouds: Book 4
“A mouthwatering recipe for caramels at the end is but one reason young readers will want to check in to this series.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Nara and the Island
“Ungureanu’s debut picture book shows the beauty of island living through the eyes of a child. . . . A charming addition for one-on-one and small group sharing that offers plenty to talk, think, and write about.”—School Library Journal View →
Gabriel's Horn
“Kimmel first adapted I.L. Peretz’s story ‘Seven Years’ for his collection Days of Awe: Stories for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Viking Press, 1991). Here is another version of the story in picture book format with a modern boy as the main… 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 →
The Mountain Jews and the Mirror
“This original folk story reads like a Sephardic Chelm-like tale set in Morocco . . . The lesson can be one of many, including that sometimes we shouldn’t be so quick to judge the person staring back at us in the mirror!” — Jewish Book Council View →
Believe Your Eyes: Book 1
“Latina Cici is wholly likable, and her real-life concerns play out well juxtaposed with her more whimsical ones. A thoughtful and entertaining mix of fantasy and real-world problems.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
On One Foot
“This is an attractive picture book that would be useful for teaching about Rabbi Hillel and the verse often referred to as the Golden Rule.” — AJL Reviews View →
Elmer and the Flood
“So many picture books promote the joys of friendship that it’s refreshing to find one celebrating ‘the bliss of solitude’ in such a cheerful way. . . . A fresh, amusing addition to the Elmer series.”—Booklist Online View →
Shalom Everybodeee!: Grover's Adventures in Israel
“The best way to experience this book is to find someone who does a really good Grover impression for a read-aloud. Grover has one of the most distinctive voices in the history of children’s television, and all Sesame Street fans will hear that voice in their heads as soon as View →
Sammy Spider's First Taste of Hanukkah: A Cookbook
“Making his 15th appearance, ‘Sammy Spider dangled from his web as Mr. Shapiro told Josh the story of the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil.’ While spiders don’t celebrate the holiday, Sammy could certainly watch as all the cooking began! In this latest… View →