The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Pirate Passover by Judy Press, illustrated by Amanda Gulliver Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker Buy at Bookshop.org A pirate crew scrubbing and polishing their ship to get ready for Passover; the pirate captain preparing a seder plate; matzoh balls rolling off the plank into the ocean! What fun this clever Passover story is, presented in perfectly rhymed couplets. When a storm strikes in the midst of the onboard seder, you can practically feel the fear of the crew as the ship rocks in the waves. The ship washes ashore, and the crew boldly invite themselves to a nearby family’s seder. The unfazed family welcomes them to join their table, and the seder begins. All the high points are there, from the Kiddush, to the four questions--as recited by the captain’s parrot--to the finding of the afikomen and singing Dayenu. The illustrations do justice to the festivities with a diverse crew of expressive pirates a...

Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Silent Shofar by Judy Press, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Mozer Buy at Bookshop.org Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Silent Shofar is the second Pinky Bloom book I have reviewed for this blog, and it's just as much fun as the first. It's about a Jewish Brooklynite girl named Pinky (short for Penina) who solves crimes with the help of her little brother Ari. This series continues to be a good example of this genre, with Pinky taking on pet sitting duties, mysterious goings on at the pet shop, and her dad's inexplicably silent shofar. It would definitely be enjoyed by 6-8 year olds who enjoy mystery series such as A to Z Mysteries, Cam Jansen mysteries, or Ballpark Mysteries. This book has positive and authentic Jewish religious or cultural content and is appropriate for the intended grade level in style, vocabulary, format, and illustratio...

Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Magical Menorah by Judy Press, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Mozer Buy at Bookshop.org Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Magical Menorah is part of an early middle grade series about a Jewish Brooklynite girl named Pinky (short for Penina) who solves crimes with the help of her annoying little brother Avi. This series is a good example of this genre. The story is fun and easy to follow. It would definitely be enjoyed by 6 - 8 year olds who enjoy mystery series such as A to Z Mysteries, Cam Jensen mysteries, or Ballpark Mysteries.    This book definitely has positive and authentic Jewish religious or cultural content and is appropriate for the intended grade level in style, vocabulary, format, and illustration. It’s great to see a mystery series for this audience with Jewish content.  Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor...