Reviews
A Ramadan to Remember
“This lovely picture book shares the specifics of the Ramadan holiday with readers of all backgrounds, while illustrating the very real emotions of one boy who feels alienated from his peers. . . . [A] heartfelt and detailed book to share with all children, whether or not they… View →
On a Gold-Blooming Day: Finding Fall Treasures
“Revel in the beauty of the fall season with this lyrical picture book for young children. On a gold-blooming day, readers are invited to look at a bee sipping nectar from a flower, watch the sun through branches on a tree, and see a snake glide, a spider hide, cricket chirp, and a View →
Olivia Rodrigo: Hit Singer-Songwriter
“This picture book for young elementary learners introduces singer-actress-superstar Olivia Rodrigo. The book is light on text, but includes many pictures of the famous popstar, who first gained fame with lead roles in various Disney programs, including High School Musical: The… View →
Ava, a Sephardic Jewish girl, and Nadeem, her Muslim cousin, are best friends. After Ava and Nadeem are bullied at school, a mysterious button helps them travel back in time to medieval Morocco where they learn more about their roots and begin to take pride in their unique identities;… View →
The Singer and the Scientist
Bonds forged in the United States between Jews and non-Jews—particularly non-Jewish Black Americans—underlie two other recent picture books. The Singer and The Scientist (by Lisa Rose with illustrations by Isabel Muñoz) spotlights the friendship between Marian Anderson (1897-1993), the… View →
Hair Story
“This gorgeous book is about more than hair. Hair becomes the vehicle for a conversation about identity, beauty standards, bias, relationships, self-love, and more. Ramos has created a picture book that touches upon identity as it is intertwined with other elements of life, all by… View →
Rainbow Hands
“The innocent, gender-stereotype-defying tale joins a modest but growing number of picture books that introduce young people to tolerance for and celebration of the variety of human experience.”—Booklist View →
I Am Brown
“Banker and Prabhat have created an exuberant celebration of brownness in a child-sized picture book context. The presentation of the text is simple; it is a list poem that begins with the titular declaration of brown identity. Through the book, we see a little brown girl with… View →
Shalom Bayit
“A charming board book to inspire comforting story times or bedtimes—especially during these challenging times—Shalom Bayit: A Peaceful Home would be a favorite on home bookshelves and is highly recommended for school and public library collections.” — Kathryn Carroll,… 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 →
A Queen in Jerusalem
“Malka is disappointed that her mother doesn’t have time to make her a Purim costume, but her mother thinks she’s now old enough to make her own. Malka sadly walks through the streets of Jerusalem. She can sense the city’s excitement for the holiday, but struggles to feel… 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 →
Engineer Arielle and the Israel Independence Day Surprise
“The roof of a train and the roof of the sky deliver a picture book about Israel’s Independence Day. Engineer Arielle, energetic, 21st century, modern, urban train engineer is the great, great granddaughter of Engineer Ari renowned for his adventures driving the first ever train in View →
Moti the Mitzvah Mouse
“Lots of people commit acts of mischief when no one is looking. Moti the mouse secretly commits good deeds. Moti lives under the kitchen sink in the home of a white, Jewish family, but he sometimes sneaks out to perform a ‘mitzvah.’ The term is a traditional Hebrew word 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 →
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 →
Hanukkah Delight!
“In brief board-book form Newman revisits the familiar Hanukkah traditions she successfully introduced in Eight Nights of Chanukah, illustrated by Elivia Savadier (2005), and Here Is the World, illustrated by Susan Gal (2014). Here the holiday stands on its own without parodying a… 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 →
Edgy Fashion
“These books, nominally about exploring fashion identities, will fly off library shelves due to the superabundance of celebrity photos. . . . Pictured celebs seem to be chosen in part for their durability—Taylor Swift and Solange Knowles are likely to be well known for a… View →
Netta and Her Plant
" ‘It’s Tu B’Shevat today,’ the teacher explained. ‘Your name, Netta, means ‘plant,’ and now is the time to plant.’ So opens this picture book about the Jewish New Year for Trees, celebrated on the fifteenth day of Shevat. Although Tu B’Shevat isn’t explained within the… View →
Netta and Her Plant
“A little girl’s understanding of the annual Jewish New Year for trees, known as the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, begins with a seedling she continues to care for through her primary years, watching it grow into a fine small tree. This gentle narrative incorporates the… View →
No Baths at Camp
“It’s bath time at Max’s house, and he’s cranky about it. He grumbles that he’d rather be back at summer camp, because ‘there are no baths at camp!’ His mom is skeptical, so Max narrates a week of activities. From rock climbing to art class,… View →
The Purim Superhero
“PreS-Gr 2—Nate is having a hard time choosing a costume for his synagogue’s Purim celebration. All the boys in his Hebrew class plan to dress as superheroes, but he is much more interested in aliens. With help from his two fathers (Daddy and Abba) and inspired by the… View →