The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell written and illustrated by Miri Leshem-Pelly Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby Buy at Bookshop.org Join an exuberant, nature-loving protagonist as she enjoys exploring the varied landscapes of Israel. Written in first person, this picture book introduces children to the natural beauty of Israel as well as to the importance of preserving nature, leaving the land as you find it. The protagonist brings that point to life for readers, writing: "Whenever I hold something small in my hand--a feather, pebble, a shell--I leave it where it belongs... for you to find." Simple, sparse, lyrical language and colorful watercolor paintings convey the author/illustrator's love of Israel and nature. Sidebars with factual information about the indigenous items the protagonist encounters add another layer of learning. The back matter adds more factual information about the natural div...

Latke's First Hanukkah written and illustrated by Alan Silberberg Viking Books for Young Readers (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby Buy at Bookshop.org While Latke’s First Hanukkah is Alan Silberberg’s first board book, it is not his first book for young children that combines food with fun. Through animated latkes and other holiday food characters and objects—including jelly donuts, chocolate gelt, spinning dreidels, and wrapped gifts, he includes highlights of the holiday: lighting the menorah for eight nights, welcoming friends, celebrating light, and even the applesauce versus sour cream latke topping debate. Simple counting, bright colors, and cheerful illustrations make for an inviting introduction to the Festival of Lights for little ones. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze?  Click here! Reviewer Elizabeth Suneby is an award-winning children's book author whose Jewish-themed titles...

The Blue Glass Heart by Yona Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Chiara Fedele Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby Buy at Bookshop.org The Blue Glass Heart is a quintessential circular journey picture book. It recounts the travels of a heart-shaped shard of blue glass across oceans—from New York to Florida to Venezuela to Tel Aviv and back to New York once again—and across generations, from Sarah who mistakenly broke her grandmother’s vase to her great granddaughter Ruth who receives the shard as a token of friendship and says to her mother, “Maybe this is a piece of Great-Grandma Sarah’s bowl.” The story and illustrations are sweet and simple, likely to appeal to a young child who will enjoy hearing about the unlikely spots in which the shard appears in between its time in the sea—atop a sandcastle, hiding in a basket of clams, in fish stew, a pocket, and a lobster’s claw—and tickled that the blue glass makes i...