Reviews
Crafts to Make in the Fall
“Twenty-nine craft projects with autumn themes, including a school bus picture frame, a fall tree lapel pin, a soft sculpture pumpkin, a leaf-print banner, and a tree puppet that changes color. Two projects can also be used for Jewish holidays. . . The full-color drawings are… View →
Let's Celebrate Valentine's Day
“Each double-page spread in this introductory volume opens with a question, such as ‘Why Is Cupid a Valentine Symbol?’ to explain the origins and traditions of the holiday. . . The riddles, trivia, instructions on how to make a pop-up Valentine’s Day card, a… View →
Emergency!
“An engaging subject and bold, colorful illustrations guarantee this picture book an enthusiastic audience. When at last all of the emergency calls are over and ‘the rescue vehicles are all tucked away,’ odds are good they’ll be called out again by eager… View →
You'll Find Me
“At a time when many kids are facing the loss of a loved one due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this title offers a reassuring take on the topic. . . . Reflecting the gentle tone of the book, the illustrations are soft and warm and are primarily in pastel… View →
All the Feelings under the Sun: How to Deal with Climate Change
“A cross between an emotional support workbook and a climate change science primer. . . . For students interested in environmental issues and climate change, as well as the emotions that these topics stir up, this may be just the book they need. Some of the exercises included are… View →
Carol Gilligan and the Search for Voice
“A highly readable and powerful volume . . . . Pop-out text boxes, illustrations, and photographs, as well as large text, are all helpful features to increase accessibility. Some may find it most important that there are entire sections on listening, because what’s a voice without… View →
Find Your Fierce: How to Put Social Anxiety in Its Place
“Sperling takes the commonly known talking points about anxiety and uses them as stepping stones for a more comprehensive action plan both for teens who live with debilitating anxiety disorders and those who occasionally experience anxiety-causing scenarios. . . . An important,… View →
Jacob's School Play: Starring He, She, and They
“When Ari is misgendered by Jacob, Ari corrects him, but Jacob needs his teacher, Ms. Reeves, to address his arguments against using the pronoun ‘they’: ‘They is for two kids.’ She models thoughtful explanations for adult and child readers. . . . Case’s… View →
Something Very Sad Happened: A Toddler's Guide to Understanding Death
“No one likes to think about it, and even fewer plan for it, but explaining death to a toddler can be a difficult task. . . . The author acknowledges that a book on death written just for little ones is a bit niche but emphasizes in the foreword the need to properly discuss this… View →
Abraham's Search for God
“This simply told tale is an excellent introduction to the concept of monotheism, and would be a great discussion starter for talking about God.” View →
“The language is modern and approachable…Children will be intrigued by this welcome addition to religious collections." View →
Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
“Cheerful illustrations depict the sights and scenes of Israel with nostalgia and charm…this delightful title [will] also appeal to train-loving children.” View →
Harvest of Light
In this wonderfully different Hanukkah book, an Israeli family harvests olives to be processed into the oil. The daughter provides a simple narrative, which is clearly written and accompanied by full-color photographs de-picting each step in the process from gathering and sorting the… View →
Jodie's Hanukkah Dig
An Israeli girl wants to become an archaeologist like her father and has the opportunity to assist at a dig where Judah Maccabee fought against the Syrians. Braving darkness, spiders, and her own fear, Jodie volunteers to be lowered into a small underground cave where she discovers a… View →
Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
2—In 1892, Ari is selected to engineer the first train between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Filled with pride, he boasts to his friends and neglects to say goodbye to them before he sets off. As the train stops to collect the neces-sary items to celebrate the Jewish New Year—apples, honey, round View →
Sammy Spider's First Shavuot
In this addition to the series, Sammy the spider learns about Shavuot, which “celebrates the time when God gave the Torah to Moses.” He watches as the Shapiro family makes blintzes and reads parts of a small Torah scroll. The brightly colored paper-collage illustrations have… View →
The Boy from Seville
Manuel, 11, and his family are conversos—Jews who have nominally converted to Christianity—in 17th-century Spain. They have fled harsh discrimination in Portugal, but their lives are still shrouded in fear and suspi-cion. When Manuel’s teacher intercedes, the boy is allowed to join View →
Where Do People Go When They Die?
“Haas’s muted watercolor illustrations help set the tone for this meaningful much-needed book on a universal topic." View →
It's Purim Time!
“…offers an attractive, appealing introduction to a holiday that children love to celebrate.” View →
Matzah Ball: A Passover Story
“Bold, detailed watercolors perfectly complement the text’s realistic language and emotions…this will be a hit with sports lovers and anyone seeking an added dimension to a holiday story.” View →
No Rules for Michael
“The colorful illustrations are warm and friendly.” View →
Quirky, Jerky, Extra Perky: More about Adjectives
“Chock-full of imagination-tickling adjectives, this sprightly volume will have readers itching to spice up their writing, ‘make phrases sing/and keep our language interesting!’” —Curriculum Connections View →
“An excellent teaching tool, attractively updated to appeal to today’s more design-conscious kids, this is a must-have for early childhood teachers…and a solid choice for Jewish families.” View →
Little White Duck: A Childhood in China
Recommended Reading Living History Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu; illus. by Andres Vera Martinez (Graphic Universe, 2013) Gr 4-7-Each short chapter tells of a different aspect of Liu’s childhood in 1970s China: her parents’ grief at the View →