Review: Miryam's Dance
Miryam's Dance by Kerry Olitzky and Rachel Stock Spilker, illustrated by John Baptist Tumuhaise Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Cindy Rivka Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org Miryam wakes to the sound of drums and is lured to the place where musicians and dancers are practicing. Along the way, her family and friends remind her to do tasks to prepare for Shabbat, and they sigh when she is forgetful. Clearly this is not the first time Miryam has been distracted. She is invited to perform with the dancers that evening. As Miryam twirls, skips and cartwheels, the lively prose and dynamic illustrations propel the reader from page to page, caught up in her exuberance. At first her family is hesitant about dancing, but Miryam encourages them to experience a new, joyful way to celebrate Shabbat. The Ugandan character, Miryam, echoes the Miriam in the Exodus story, with her love of drums and dance, and her role of leading her community