Review: Havdalah is Coming!

Havdalah Is Coming by Tracy Newman, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli

Category: Picture Books (Board Book)
Reviewer: Mirele Kessous

Tracy Newman has a formula for her board books, and it works. Following on the success of Shabbat is Coming! she now has Havdalah is Coming!.

Simple 2-line rhymes grace each page and conclude with the phrase “Havdalah is coming.” This is nothing exceptionally creative, but it works for little kids, who will memorize it quickly enough. The language is appropriate for the baby through age 4 audience. The illustrations by Viviana Garofoli are bright and engaging. She does include one token person of color in the end—kudos. If you want to play it safe, pick this up for your little tyke. It won’t rock the boat.

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Reviewer Mirele says: I am a certified librarian with a specialty in children's and young adult library services. This is my 7th year working at The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD. Most librarians choose their profession in a somewhat circuitous path, and I am no exception. After spending 12 years at Jewish day schools, I moved from Boston to Rhode Island to get a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University where I specialized in children's illustration. I then moved to N.Y.C. where I landed several teaching jobs straight out of college. Ultimately though, I decided to combine my love of children, teaching and reading with my passion for illustration to become a children's librarian. So, I went back to school to earn a Master's of Library Science from Queens College, which I completed in 2011.

To me, CESJDS is a wonderful place to work, because the atmosphere is very community oriented. I enjoy seeing the same faces every day, which is not something you get in a public or academic library.

When I’m not reading, I enjoy spending time with my wonderful husband and 3 children.

Fun Fact: I had a personal correspondence with Mr. Rogers; he published my letter to him in one of his books.