The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Yummy Hamantaschen Text by Harold Grinspoon Foundation, illustrated by Elena Resko PJ Publishing, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz This is a very brief interactive board book that will familiarize babies and toddlers with the Purim treat, hamantaschen. The text addresses the audience directly, inviting them to pat, scoop, and fold to form the traditional three-cornered pastry. Die cut pages and fold-lines bring realism to the hamantaschen. This is the sort of book that will seem like a magic trick to very young children. The illustrations feature plump, inviting hamantaschen on boldly colored pages. A sprinkle of white makes the dough look floury. The black filling has a raised texture to evoke poppyseeds. The hamantaschen really do look yummy! A white child's hand is pictured on the cover but no other human elements appear in the imagery. Purim is never mentioned in the text, but a note for adults on the back cover explains the history of the holiday and the...