Review: Kayla & Kugel’s Playful Purim

Kayla and Kugel's Playful Purim

written and illustrated by Ann Koffsky

Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025

Category: Picture Books
Reviewer: Susan Tarcov
 
 
This book is part of a series of picture books about the Jewish holidays, featuring Kayla and her dog, Kugel. This newest entry celebrates the holiday of Purim. Kayla and Kugel bake hamantashen, dress up in costumes (Kayla dresses up as Kugel, and Kugel as Kayla), go to synagogue to hear the reading of the Megillah, and then home for a Purim feast with family and friends. The cartoon-style illustrations are cheerful, and Kayla’s red braids point up or down, expressing her emotions. What fun to see dogs and cats in synagogue—all the better to make noise to drown out Haman’s name! And there’s a very nice touch at the end: the story says that a Purim meal is most fun with friends, and the following final note to the reader begins “Dear Friends.” This book is a great introduction to the Jewish holiday of Purim for Jews and non-Jews alike.
 
 
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Reviewer Susan Tarcov is the author of six books for children, most recently Tyrannosaurus Tsuris from Kar-Ben.

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