Reviews
José and the Pirate Captain Toledano
“Swashbuckling heroes and antiheroes, Jews, Christians, and Indians, all personify the costs of living in two worlds and struggling to remain free.”―Jewish Book Council 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 →
Hannah G. Solomon Dared to Make a Difference
Hannah G. Solomon Dared to Make a Difference (by Bonnie Lindauer with illustrations by Sofia Moore) follows the founder of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). Hannah Solomon, born in Chicago in 1858, lived through a number of historical events that are… View →
The Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler
“Readers will be entertained but will also come away with food for thought and material for serious discussion with classmates, teachers, and parents as they read about an imaginative boy and the world in which he, and all of us, live.” — Michal Hoschander… View →
Noah Green Saves the World
“Any child who loves the Jewish camping experience will be thrilled to read this book. In fact, even parents who fondly remember their own Jewish camping sleep-a-way days might sneak this book out of their child’s room so they can reminisce.” — Sydney Wasserman, Sydney… View →
Beni's War
“What I enjoyed most in this book is the personified experience of a tween; how accurately the author described such everyday inner stories as magical thinking (‘get better’), the angst of being bullied, the elevating feeling of forgiving someone, the excitement of… View →
Hillel Builds a House
“Hillel Builds a House is the perfect book to read, and reread, throughout the year.” — Marcia Berneger, San Diego Jewish World View →
Shalom Bayit
“A great first book about animals and a relaxing book to read at naptime or bedtime.” — Marcia Berneger, San Diego Jewish World View →
Miriam at the River
Miriam at the River will be a treasured book during Passover and all throughout the year." — Marcia Berneger, San Diego Jewish World View →
Alligator Seder
“Alligator Seder is definitely a book to enjoy now, and to revisit on Passover.” — Marcia Berneger, San Diego Jewish World View →
You're the Cheese in My Blintz
“Settle into your coziest chair, share a nosh, and enjoy this book with your little one!” — Marcia Berneger, San Diego Jewish World View →
The Abba Tree
“‘I admired ’The Abba Tree’, because it hit a great balance of teaching while providing a fun experience for kids (and me too, an ‘adult’.)” — Jewish Book World View →
Sammy Spider's First Book of Prayers
“I wish I had this book when I was getting familiar with Judaism to understand the spirit of the prayers. It is a charming introduction, emphasizing being grateful. I consider that a key element of Judaism, so this book is close to my heart.” — Gabor Por, Jewish Book… View →
Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew?: A Book of Animal Sounds
“Your youngling will surely enjoy the book and so will you.” — Gabor Por, Jewish Book World View →
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 →
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 →
Seymour, the Formerly Fearful
“In many novels the main character overcomes great obstacles to achieve what he or she wants in the world. But Seymour doesn’t want to do anything. Seymour avoids the subway, swimming, going outside, and—most of all—learning to ride a bike. He’s afraid of so many things View →
An Unlikely Ballerina
“This long-overdue picture book biography of Alicia Markova, née Lily Marks (1910–2004), is a pleasure to behold. In clear and concise prose, the author tells the story of a talented Jewish girl born in London, England who loved to dance, overcame adversity, and eventually became a 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 →
And There Was Evening, And There Was Morning
“This new picture book about the world’s creation employs unusual, creative illustrations to deliver its story. The tale is told through rhymes of mixed quality. Following the structure of Genesis, the authors sum up each of the seven days with an appropriate, clever adjective. For View →
The World Needs Beautiful Things
“Bezalel is a slave in Egypt. Although his life is harsh, he sees beauty everywhere. To him, a feather, a smooth stone, and a piece of colored string are treasures to be cherished and stored in his Beautiful Things Box. When Pharaoh suddenly allows the Israelites to go free, and… View →
The Family with Two Front Doors
“How can a family have two front doors? Easy – if they live in 1920s Lublin, Poland, have nine children, and need two apartments – one to live in, the other in which the rabbi/father studies and conducts business. Based on Ciddor’s grandmother Nomi’s reminiscences, this View →
The Spy Who Played Baseball
“The Spy Who Played Baseball is the story of Moe Berg, a real-life major-league baseball player of the 1930s. Carrie Jones’s picture book (KarBen, £5.69) tells the story of this quietly brilliant man, who studied at Princeton and would exchange tactical remarks with his college… View →