The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Felisha Henditirto Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House Publishers), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Klempner Buy at Bookshop.org In  The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah , Jane Yolen relates the tale of a distant relative, Rochel-Leah, who grew up illiterate in the shtetl in the 1830s until her great longing to read pushed her to beg, sneak around, and eventually find a way to learn Hebrew. Intially barred from cheder because she was a girl, eventually Rochel-Leah becomes a teacher herself. She's depicted with great spunk and affection. Henditirto's illustrations nicely support the text. Most of the colors of clothing, furniture, and the forest in and around Rochel-Leah's home are subdued, but her dreams of reading--as well as the contents of books--are suffused with a lovely glow, sparkling with holiness and joy. While the story presents two solid messages -- "Torah learning is f...

Robot Shabbat by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Dave Williams Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House Publishers), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org This short picture book is about a young girl who, from the illustrations, appears to be white and to live on another planet. She builds a robot, prepares for Shabbat, and celebrates with the help of the robot, her parents, and a cat. No other humans or other living creatures are seen, but there are flowers which seem non-terrestrial. The simple repeating rhymes tell some of the story, but much of the message is carried by the cheerful child-friendly art, which show futuristic colorful clothing (think Star Trek), long sleeves and pants, and a father in a kippah. There is a touch of whimsy when the robot lights the Shabbat candles with its finger. This book is suitable for very young children. The book includes a brief afterward about Shabbat, and the story does a nice job of carrying the idea of...

Perfect Match: The Story of Althea Gibson and Angela Buxton by Lori Dubbin, illustrated by Amanda Quartey Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Karin Fisher-Golton Buy at Bookshop.org In Perfect Match , author Lori Dubbin recounts the true story of Althea Gibson and Angela Buxton’s friendship and eventual tennis doubles partnership. As the story opens Althea is already established in her skills, but as a Black American tennis player in the 1950s, she is excluded from the main tennis league. The story flashes back slightly to Angela’s childhood in England in the 1940s, when she is developing a strong interest and talent in tennis, but is unable to join any tennis club because she is Jewish. Angela esteems Althea, and when she has a chance to see her play, she takes it eagerly. Later, when an opportunity to play in the same tennis tour opens up for both of them, they meet and become friends. Eventually Althea and Angela, who both ...

Avital the Pirate by Pamela Moritz, illustrated by Damien Jones Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House Publishers), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Julie Ditton Buy at Bookshop.org When Avital's great uncle, the Pirate Brownbeard, visits shortly before Rosh Hashanah, she joins him for an adventure. At first she has fun sharing culture with the pirates. She blow the shofar for them and they teach her some pirate songs. The author Pamela Moritz mentions kid-friendly titles of a couple of pirate standards that are sure to make older readers laugh. But when she finds out that the pirates plan to steal treasure from other people, Avital lectures her uncle that stealing is wrong. And when they run across a ship with an elderly crew, she stresses that it is a mitzvah to respect old people. She teaches the crew ways to enjoy themselves without hurting people. The cute colorful illustrations by Damien Jones show a ship full of smiling pirates having fun. The brigh, bold a...

The Midnight Mitzvah by Ruth Horowitz, illustrated by Jenny Meilihove Barefoot Books, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ann D. Koffsky Buy at Bookshop.org Ruth Horowitz has done a beautiful job of sharing the idea of giving tzedakah, charity, with embarrassing the recipient. The Midnight Mitzvah follows Hanina Chipmunk, who loves to share the nuts she gathers with friends. The only one who doesn’t like accepting her generous gifts is Mathilda Squirrel. Mathilda, we are told, used to be a champion nut gatherer herself. But now that she’s too elderly to continue, she’s embarrassed to accept help. Kind hearted Hanina solves this problem by deciding to share her nuts with Mathilda secretly, at night. She has to journey out into the dark and face an intimidating owl—but ultimately is successful in her mission. Mathilda receives her nuts and will be hungry no more—all without embarrassment. The illustrations are vivid and evocative. The nighttime pictures especially are beautiful combi...

One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Sarah Green Calkins Creek (imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Bookshop.org As readers of The Sydney Taylor Shmooze blog know, Sydney Taylor was the author of the All-of-a-Kind Family series, the first popular mainstream books to feature Jewish characters. The Association of Jewish Libraries' children's book award is named in Taylor's memory. One of a Kind is a picture book biography of Sydney Taylor, detailing her childhood, relationships, influences, career moves, and the fulfillment of her dream to become an author. Taylor's complex and active lifetime has been skillfully simplified here, with straightforward language and a thematic throughline of Syd's desire for social justice, manifested at last in the publication of All-of-a-Kind Family . The facts are based closely upon Taylor's own writings and family reco...

Remember My Story: A Girl, A Holocaust Survivor, and a Friendship That Made History by Claire Sarnowski with Sarah Durand Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Sandy Wasserman Buy at Bookshop.org This book is a treasure! It’s the story of the unlikeliest of friendships. The author, Claire Sarnowski, a Christian girl, started a friendship with Alter Wiener when she was only 9 years old, invited by her aunt to hear a Holocaust survivor who was then 89 years old, speak in their very non-Jewish community in Oregon. Soon after they meet, a bond forms between Claire and Alter, a survivor of five work camps and concentration camps. He shares his life story with Claire through their meetings during her middle and high school years, and during those visits she shares her own daily issues with him, speaking frankly as best friends would. She learns from him that just as her education is beginning, it coincides with the time when Alter’s formal education ...

Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org Shai is the only child of a single mother, living in a warm communal household in Wisconsin. In addition to the usual problems of adolescence, Shai has an anxiety disorder, and change is difficult for them. Shai enters public school for the first time after being home-schooled, is skipped a grade due to academic achievement, starts high school, misses their best friend, gets a new haircut, makes new friends, starts to understand their gender identity and sexuality, develops disfiguring eczema, and worries. So much worry. Their mother doesn't seem to want to answer Shai's questions about their past, and mom’s new career will likely mean that they will have to move. An antisemitic incident occurs, but Shai has supportive family, friends, and teachers as well as personal strengths. Shai enjoys writing and poetry and is able to understand w...

A Turkish Rosh Hashanah by Etan Basseri, illustrated by Zeynep Özatala Kalaniot Books, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org A Turkish Rosh Hashanah gives us a glimpse into the traditions and flavors of Rosh Hashanah as it was celebrated by one branch of Sephardic communities. The community mentioned in this story was expelled from Spain in 1492 and found refuge in Constantinople, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, hence the abundance of Ladino words throughout the story. The narrative of a Rosh Hashanah experience unfolds in the markets and sights of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul. This rich historical backdrop anchors the story and allows the reader to connect with the cultural and historical roots of this community. We meet our characters at the beginning of the story as they plan their shopping spree to get all the ingredients they need to make the dishes in time for Rosh Hashanah seder, as described in the story, the "yehi re...

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman Aladdin (imprint of Simon & Schuster), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Mindy Civan Buy at Bookshop.org Not Nothing tells the story of a non-Jewish twelve year old boy named Alex, from the point of view of Joseph Kravitz, a Jewish 107 year old Holocaust survivor. This unlikely friendship was set into motion by a judge, who ordered Alex to volunteer at Shady Glen Retirement Home, after “the incident”. Alex was recently removed from his mother’s care and placed with his aunt and uncle, where he sleeps on a lumpy couch and is fed bland, rubbery chicken each night. Shady Glen is the last place that Alex wants to be for the summer, with its elderly residents, especially since the only other kid around is the bossy Maya-Jade. Things start to change for Alex when a case of the stomach flu spreads, and Alex has to help by delivering meals to residents in their rooms. On his delivery rounds, Alex slowly begins to converse with the residents, and get to know...

An Etrog From Across the Sea by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman Buy at Bookshop.org Two children and their mother anxiously await their father’s return from his perilous journey on business from New York to Corsica in the 1700’s. Will he be home in time for Sukkot, bringing the special etrog as promised? Or will he be shipwrecked, lost at sea, or attacked by pirates? While he’s delayed, his family travels from their northern homestead amidst the Native American tribes to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with their grandfather in the city. When they must head home without their father, their grandfather gifts them a valuable etrog holder along with the gift of faith that their father will return safely in time. With a smattering of sibling rivalry and moments of worry and fear, the love of the family always shines through. As...

A Taste of Home by Richard Ho, illustrated by Sibu T.P. Roaring Brook Press, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Claire Freeland Buy at Bookshop.org In this ode to the variety of cultures you can find in a vibrant city, a young boy’s mother asks him to “bring back a taste of home.” The city, though not named, is New York City (there is a street map). The boy, though never stated, is Jewish (he is wearing a kippah). The boy’s mother wants food from her unnamed homeland (Israel), referred to as a land of milk and honey. So, you ask, why the veiled references? Maybe it’s because the author, Richard Ho, wants the reader to place this child of an Israeli immigrant in the context of the many other children of immigrants who can find the foods of their parents’ countries of origin in this colorful city, rich with diversity. He introduces the notion that home, for the children of immigrants, are the sights, sounds, and tastes of their everyday lives, while home, for their parents and grandp...

Dandelion Snow by Rinat Primo, illustrated by Maya Ish-Shalom, translated by June Amikam Green Bean Books, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick Buy at Bookshop.org This Israeli author/illustrator team brings a life-affirming story about a kindergarten class in an Israeli town. Every Friday, the teachers take the children to play in nearby verdant fields bursting with wildflowers. The children’s favorite blossoms are the dandelions because of their bright yellow color and their white seed heads that flutter like snow when blown on. One day, though, the children learn that the fields will be closed off for the construction of new homes; quickly, the fields start getting dug up. The youngsters worry about what will become of their beloved dandelions. In a stroke of compassionate genius, they decide to gather some of the remaining dandelions and blow their seeds all along their walk back to school. The children know that next year, there will be flowers all over the ...