The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Beam of Light: The Story of the First White House Menorah by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Sofia Moore Rocky Pond Books (imprint of Penguin Books), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Laurie Adler   Buy at Bookshop.org A Beam of Light is a spectacular nonfiction picture book told from the point of view of a wooden beam which is eventually fashioned into the first menorah, indeed the first piece of Judaica, that was added to the permanent White House Holiday Collection. "I was supposed to be destroyed" is a repeated refrain throughout the book, as the beam survives a dilapidated White House, the Truman-era demolition and renovation, landfills, and storage, to experience consequent salvation.  The wood reflects on the "deeper level of destruction" it witnessed in 1943, when the sitting president refused to offer refuge to Jews, and millions perished in the Holocaust. Yet, like the Jewish people, the wood comes from strong roots, can withstand the ravages of...

Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup! (Ellie's Deli series) by Lisa Greenwald, illustrated by Galia Bernstein Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org Veteran tween author Lisa Greenwald’s newest book is about a sympathetic eleven-year-old who is determined to save her family’s failing Jewish deli. Ellie comes from a close knit Jewish family and has supportive friends at home and at school. Her small town's dwindling Jewish community, however, and her bubby’s declining health means that her family will likely have to sell their beloved fourth-generation kosher deli. Ellie’s ambitious plans to save the deli form the backbone to this gentle and upbeat book, and though there are some heavier subplots, such as anxiety, loss, and gentrification, all topics are addressed with a light hand. With the help of her community, Ellie’s plans to save the deli are successful and all problems, big and small, are neatly resolved by the last page. E...

Dino-Hanukkah by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Barry Gott Carolrhoda Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org Come celebrate with the dinosaurs, as they cheerfully prepare for the holiday and join in familiar Hanukkah fun. This book is the latest addition and the first Jewish holiday featured in the Dino-Holiday series by author/ illustrator team Lisa Wheeler and Barry Gott. In Dino-Hanukkah , the dinosaurs decorate, play dreidel, open presents, and engage in other highly recognizable Hanukkah activities. Wheeler’s rhymes are never forced, and there is a small plot of Allo the Allosaurus waiting patiently for all eight nights till it’s his turn to light the menorah. Gott’s bold and colorful computer-generated illustrations are toddler-friendly and add to the fun; even the T-Rex is affable and unthreatening. Each page conveys action and activity and is full of enough detail for children to find new elements i...

Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros Inkyard Press, 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org When twelve-year-old Zach Darlington buys a magical antique ring for his mother’s birthday, he unwittingly unleashes an egotistic and snarky demon king, some terrifying mythological monsters, and a nefarious secret society. Zach, his best friend Sandra, and demon Ashmedai, or Ash, must struggle within themselves and with each other in order to vanquish ancient beasts and foil a deadly apocalyptic prophecy. Strong sub-plots include Zach’s trepidation about coming out, antisemitism, homophobia, bullying, and navigating a first crush. Ring of Solomon is a well-paced, action-packed mythological adventure that fits snugly into the popular genre of Percy Jackson and the Rick Riordon Presents imprint. It will have strong appeal to middle grade readers between 8-12 years, especially those who enjoy mythology and monsters. As evidenced by his other books, most notably The Cit...

A Whale of a Tale: A Sabbath Summer Solstice Story by Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, illustrated by Krystyna Nowak Relevant Publishers, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org When Tova travels to Alaska with her mother during the summer solstice, she wonders how they will know when the Sabbath ends in a land where the sun never sets. She asks native Alaskan animals one by one for a solution but none can help. Finally, a wise orca explains how the position of the sun tells us when the day is over, and reminds Tova of the magic of the Sabbath day. The illustrations are vividly colored and mostly realistic, but are sometimes blurry and unformed. Preschoolers will enjoy hearing Tova consult each native animal, but those same young readers may find the explanation of the sun's positioning and the summer solstice confusing. A Whale of a Tale would be a fine supplement to a Jewish school or synagogue library paired with another nonfiction book that expla...

Starfish by Lisa Fipps Nancy Paulsen Books (imprint of Penguin Random House) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Laurie Adler   Buy at Bookshop.org   Starfish , written by first-time novelist Lisa Fipps, is one of the best new tween novels on the trending subject of fat-phobia and body image. Ellie, an eleven-year-old Texan, is continuously body-shamed by her schoolmates and family. Since her fifth birthday party, she has been called “Splash” and compared to a whale. She lives by self-imposed fat girl rules -- “make yourself small,” “avoid eating in public,” “move slowly so your fat doesn’t jiggle” -- but the bullying escalates dangerously both at home and at school. Ellie’s only safe space is her swimming pool, where she feels weightless and can stretch out like a starfish. With only her father, her new neighbor Catalina, and a therapist to support her, Ellie valiantly finds her voice to confront rude doctors, cruel schoolmates, and even her own mother.   Thi...

  An Egg for Shabbat by Mirik Snir, illustrated by Eleyor Snir Kar-Ben Publishing Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org An Egg for Shabbat , written by Mirik Snir and illustrated by Eleyor Snir, is a thoroughly engaging book for children in preschool through age six. The story is simple and infused with humor: young Ben, eager to help his mother, visits the chicken pen every morning to fetch an egg, only to have something different- OH NO, CRACK- go wrong each day. Mom never gets angry, and by Friday Ben has learned from experience and is finally successful in bringing home an egg, used to make the shiniest challah in honor of Shabbat. This story is told in rhyme with repeated refrains, perfect for a young audience. The pencil illustrations are uncomplicated and engaging, with soft colorful scenes from mom’s kitchen interspersed with soft blue and gray scenes from the chicken pen. What makes this book a cut above, however, is the design. Each day of t...

Hillel Builds a House by Shoshana Lepon, illustrated by Ángeles Ruiz Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org Hillel builds houses everywhere- out of boxes, pillows, sheets, or whatever is on hand. This book by Shoshana Lepon takes us on a tour through the Jewish year as Hillel seeks out the perfect Jewish holiday in which to indulge his passion. No festival is quite right until, predictably, the holiday of Sukkot arrives, and Hillel can construct a sukkah, or temporary dwelling. Sukkot is indeed the perfect time to build a house. This straightforward story has enough details about each Jewish holiday to save it from being a niche book about Sukkot. The standout illustrations by Ángeles Ruiz, full of soft blues and vivid oranges, keep the reader engaged by showing Hillel's interactions with his family and his multiracial Jewish community. Hillel Builds a House was originally published in 1993, but was redesigned this year with new ...

Striker Boy by Jonny Zucker Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org After touring the world for seven years, thirteen-year-old Nat Levy and his father finally return to England to settle down. It is rough going at first; they live in a dump, and have no money, family, or friends. The one constant in Nat's life is soccer, or rather, football, as it's referred to in this British novel. Nat's amazing soccer skills are scouted at a community event for his favorite team, and, incredibly, the team's management illegally arranges for young Nat to get a place on the first team squad. But will Nat be able to save the struggling Hatten Rovers from bankruptcy? There are suspicious, even illegal, undercurrents behind the team's poor performance, and Nat must face danger both on and off the field in order to save his beloved team.  Striker Boy 's strength is as a sports novel, with lots of play-by-play commentary. There is suspense and some espio...

The Eight Knights of Hanukkah by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Galia Bernstein Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Laurie Adler   Buy at Bookshop.org My calendar tells me that it’s time to start thinking about Hanukkah. The Eight Knights of Hanukkah , by established author Leslie Kimmelman and illustrator Galia Bernstein, is an entertaining story and a perfect holiday refresher for children from kindergarten through third grade. The story begins in the Renaissance-style kingdom of Lady Sadie. It’s the last night of Hanukkah, and the entire village is preparing for a gala celebration. But alas! A dastardly dragon named Dreadful is roaming the countryside and foiling the party preparations. Oh no! Fair maiden Lady Saidy calls upon the Eight Knights of Hanukkah to “fix things with some deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery” and save the day. Along the way the diverse group of knights replace a scorched dreidel, peel potatoes for latkes, and do a variety of mitzvot before v...

A Very Big Problem by Amy-Jill Levine & Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, illustrated by Annie Bowler Cateogry: Picture Books Reviewer: Laurie Adler   Buy at Bookshop.org An argument is piercing through the serenity of God’s garden. Each creation, from rain to earthworms to children, takes a turn to argue why it’s the most important, and refrains that “God should love me the most. It’s only fair.” At the end, God gently intercedes and explains that there is enough love for everyone; each part of nature is crucial to the whole, and “without all of you together, there would be no garden at all.” This gentle story was written to read like a midrash, an ancient Rabbinic story or parable, that expands upon the creation chapters in Genesis. It’s simplicity, alliteration, and repeating refrain will captivate preschool children, while its many ecological facts will broaden their knowledge of our world. Annie Bowler’s bold and colorful illustrations seem to spill out from the pages to perfectly c...