The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

The Greatest by Veera Hiranandani, illustrated by Vesper Stamper Random House Studio (imprint of Random House Children's Books), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili   Buy at Bookshop.org   Growing up, our family's Sundays were always set aside for visiting my grandparents: first my mother's parents, and then my father's mother. It was with this memory that I began reading The Greatest, which opens with "The old man sips his coffee and watches the sun come up. It’s Sunday, his favorite day of the week. Sundays are when his grandchildren come to visit." The story goes through different activities in which grandfather and grandchildren engage in during their time together. The grandchildren think their grandfather is the greatest, although he is not sure why they feel that way. By the last sentence in the book, though, he comes to a heartwarming conclusion about why that may be. Noticeably absent from the story is the grandmoth

Baila the Klopper by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod, illustrated by Shirley Waisman Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Susan Tarcov Buy at Bookshop.org Every morning Baila the Klopper goes all around her tiny shtetl “klopping” on people’s doors to wake them up. It’s her responsibility to make sure everyone in the town is up in time for morning services. And she takes that responsibility seriously. So when the person in the last house is too sleepy to wake up because the teething baby next door cries all night, Baila the Klopper decides it’s part of her job to soothe the teething baby, even if this means delegating the actual klopping on doors to someone else.   The story has the cumulative feeling of a round as Baila enlists everybody in the shtetl in the solution to the problem. The story is charming, Baila speaks in perfectly scanning rhyme, and the illustrations beautifully convey the early morning light and the early spring weat

Rebecca's Prayer for President Lincoln by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Laura Barella Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker Buy at Bookshop.org Rebecca's Prayer for President Lincoln is based on a true story and vividly captures the emotion of the Jewish community in Washington, DC, following news of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Prolific children’s author Jane Yolen, once again, brings a story to life through her elegant and engaging language. The story centers on a Jewish family and takes place immediately after the Civil War. It is told in the voice of the younger of two sisters. She adopts her father’s strong disdain for slavery -- and reverence for Abraham Lincoln. Even though her father comes home from the war with a useless wooden hand, he never stops believing in the righteousness of the war. He tells his family, “We Jews who were once slaves in Egypt, we especially, should never let another huma

Lucky Penny by Aimee Lucido, illustrated by Jon Davis Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House Publishing), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Leah Cypess Buy at Bookshop.org When Penny (the girl) picks up a face-down penny (the coin), her best friend warns her that she’s in for a run of bad luck. Penny doesn’t believe it. She’s done a lot to ensure that she has a lucky day—a day that will hopefully end with her being chosen to blow the shofar at her school’s Rosh Hashanah picnic. But a cascade of disasters seems to prove that Penny’s luck really has gone bad. Can she turn it around? Penny’s earnest efforts and inevitable mishaps are authentic and fun to read about. The charming illustrations complement the story perfectly, making this a delighful—and definitely Jewish—chapter book. This fun, fast-moving story incorporates a number of Rosh Hashanah traditions, from shofar to honey cake to Tashlich, with a light but meaningful touch.  Ed. note: This early chapter book was i

Challah for Shabbat Tonight by Sara Holly Ackerman, illustrated by Alona Millgram Algonquin Young Readers (imprint of Workman Publishing), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Dena Bach Buy at Bookshop.org A warm connection between a girl and her grandmother is revealed, as they bake challah together and prepare for a diverse gathering of Shabbat dinner guests. Using simple rhymes and action words, the lively activities of the girl and her grandmother are mirrored in the dynamic movement of Alona Millgrim's illustrations, skillfully propelling the reader from one page to the next. The retro colors and details of the illustrations give the story an old-timey yet timeless feel. The action is enhanced by the addition of an equally lively cat and bird, that the child reader can follow through the pages. In this portrayal of the preparation and rituals for a Shabbat meal, Jewish content is central to the narrative, and works well across the wide spectrum of Jewish observance. The illu

On a Chariot of Fire: The Story of India's Bene Israel by Erica Lyons, illustrated by Siona Benjamin Levine Querido, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Amy Blaine Buy at Bookshop.org On the title verso (e-version review copy) of On a Chariot of Fire: The Story of India’s Bene Israel, a small note describes the process by which illustrator Siona Benjamin created the images for her forthcoming picture book: “Siona Benjamin began the process for illustrating this book by researching images from her own Indian Jewish family, community and background.” Images of saris, pomegranates, and head-coverings emphasize the common threads of culture. Blues, oranges, and yellows provide a vibrant backdrop for the words, told by Erica Lyons; a story of how this unique community first came to be on the Indian subcontinent. At first glance, this book takes the form of a contemporary grandmother telling the story of her family’s past to her granddaughter. Yet beneath the surface is a fascinating

One More Story, Tata! by Julie Salamon, illustrated by Jill Weber Minerva (imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org   Ruby, the story’s precocious toddler protagonist, goes with her parents to spend each Friday with her grandparents, Yaya and Papa, and great grandmother, Tata, culminating in a celebratory Shabbat dinner. Ruby is fascinated with Tata, who is “very old,” and has many stories and dreams to share. Parallels between the young Ruby and the elderly Tata are subtly shown, such as the stroller/walker, naptime, and wanting to do things independently. While I found the names confusing at times, Weber’s illustrations help tell the story and depict a happy Jewish multi-generational family. There is no conflict or problem solving in this book; rather, it focuses on the importance of family traditions, including sharing stories and photos, and Shabbat. I found it interesting that although Ruby’s father is depic