The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Hanukkah Pajamakkahs by Dara Henry, illustrated by Olga & Aleksey Ivanov Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org Hanukkah Pajamakkahs , with its adorably cute illustrations, is the story of Ruthie, who is delighted to receive Hanukkah-themed pajamas - “Pajamakkahs” – on the first night of Hanukkah. Ruthie wants to wear them for all eight nights of the holiday, but her parents want her to keep them “spotless” for the forthcoming Hanukkah party. Antics ensue as Ruthie (who has promised to keep them spotless) makes latkes – and gets streaks (but not spots) on her pajamakkahs, candle drippings (but not spots) on her pajamakkahs, strips of tape, sticky sufganiyot, sparkles, and squishes (but not spots) on her pajamakkahs. After all, if the oil in the Hanukkah story could last eight nights, certainly Ruthie’s pajamakkahs can, too. This rousing tale is hilariously illustrated with bright, bold colors depicting the adventur...

One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov Dial Books for Young Readers (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall  Buy at Bookshop.org One Small Spark is an empowering story about seeing broken things in the world (e.g., a swing that is no longer attached to its chain, part of a dilapidated playground) and repairing them, alone or with help. The book’s hopeful premise and promise is that if everyone pitches in to help and, in their own way, lights one small spark, the world will be a better, brighter place. Written in sweet, lyrical language, the text addresses readers directly: "Imagine the world you want to live in. If that's not the world you see, will you create it?"    The many examples of positive action are vibrantly depicted with bright, sweeping reds and oranges in Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s stunningly vivid illustrations, as the palette morphs from grey to colo...

Mighty Micah by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Steliyana Doneva Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org As Micah returns home from a Purim party, he recalls how powerful he’d felt when he whirled his gragger (Purim noisemaker). With it, he could “stand up to anyone – even that bad man Haman!” That night, while Micah is asleep, his gragger is carried off by a raccoon, then a fish, then a heron. Before school that morning, however, it is returned to the lawn in front of Micah’s home. In school, Micah shows the gragger to his teacher, Mrs. Mack, who tells the class how Brave Queen Esther saved her people from the evil Haman. Mrs. Mack adds that “everyone needs to feel powerful sometimes” and gives the gragger to the smallest girl in the class. Story and language are cute and clear, combining elements of a “lost mitten” folktale with an anti-bullying story and a tie-in to Purim. A rhyming refrain abo...

The Mexican Dreidel by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Ilan Stavans, illustrated by Maria Mola Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman Buy at Bookshop.org Celebrate Janucá (Hanukkah) in Mexico with Danielito as he visits his grandmother for the holiday. When he adds his dreidel to the neighborhood game of spinning tops, friendships grow, bridging the cultural divide between Danielito and the children who are celebrating Christmas. His dreidel rallies all the tops and leads them on a wild race allowing the reader to see daily life in the village. With Spanish words and phrases sprinkled naturally throughout and needing no translation, young readers will feel as if they are walking in the town. After Danielito invites his new friends to his grandmother's home to celebrate with menorah lighting, latkes, and donuts, plans are made to play again the next day. It's refreshing to see the children being naturally curio...

Eve and Adam and Their Very First Day by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Irina Augustinovich Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org On her very first day in the Garden of Eden, Eve (who is strong and inquisitive and not afraid of anything), meets Adam, who was made first and has a beautiful smile. Together, they wander the Garden giving names to things. Adam gives simple names. Eve prefers more imaginative ones. However, Day doesn’t last forever. The sun goes down. Night comes. Eve and Adam are nervous. It’s dark. They are new and have never seen night before. But they have faith and, together, they make it through. Kimmelman’s beautiful, lyrical language combines with Irina Augustinovich’s spectacularly sensitive illustrations to give readers a creative telling of Eve and Adam’s first day. The two have golden skin and wavy black hair, which can be interpreted as white, Asian, or Latinx. Ev...

Bob Marshall: Defender of the Wilderness by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Jeanne Bowman South Dakota Historical Society Press, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Stacey Rattner   Buy from the publisher As a very aspiring 46er (41 peaks to go), I am embarrassed to say that I had never heard of Bob Marshall. How wonderful to learn about this man who, in only 38 years of his life, did so much to preserve wilderness in our country. One of the peaks is his namesake. I look forward to reaching that summit and declaring to all who want to know that it is named after a Jewish man! Bob was born in New York City but visited the Adirondacks with his family in the summer. He and his brothers explored, took notes and played “Lewis and Clark” among the peaks. As an adult, Bob worked hard to ensure that wilderness areas were preserved and could be utilized by all, regardless of race or religion. Since this is a picture book biography, the illustrations play a significant role with t...

Brave Volodymyr: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for Ukraine by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Grasya Oliyko  Quill Tree Books, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus   Buy at Bookshop.org   This picture book biography tells the story of Volodymyr Zelensky, starting with his childhood and leading all the way to his election as the president of Ukraine. Using simple language and concepts, author Linda Marshall explains how the young Zelensky grew up seeing evil and corruption in his country. From a young age, his goal was to make the country and the world a better place for everyone. His career as an entertainer led him to run in the presidential election, because he realized that humor alone cannot keep a country free and independent.    Zelensky is Jewish, and yet he grew up to be president of a country that in the past has been very antisemitic. Ukranian discrimination against in the Jewish people is mentioned in the...

Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Kris Easler Charlesbridge Publishing, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org In this charmingly old-fashioned Hanukkah story, the Menashe family is accustomed to celebrating the holiday with potatoes for making latkes and apples for making applesauce. But this year, that’s impossible. An early winter snowstorm has buried the still-in-the-ground potatoes under mounds of snow. That same storm also prevents the family from gathering still-on-the-tree apples. Everyone is hungry! Worse, two strays - a hungry cat and a hungry dog come in search of food and shelter. There’s no food for anyone. Nevertheless, the Menashe family – sharing Talmudic-sounding wisdom – helps the animals. After all, the dog and cat are God’s creatures. Yet, still, it snows.  Finally, on the last night of Hanukkah, the sky clears, the snow stops, and everyone goes outside. The dog digs in the snow…a...

Miriam and the Sasquatch by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Tamara Anegon Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org It’s early fall, and Rosh Hashanah is coming. Miriam gazes at an apple orchard, imagining a delicious honey-and-apple holiday feast. She enters the orchard, not to pick apples but to practice blowing her shofar where the sound won’t bother anyone. As she practices, she hears munching and crunching, gets bopped on the head by an apple, and discovers a sasquatch sitting in the tree, eating apples that she needs for Rosh Hashanah. She tells Sasquatch to stop, but Sassy keeps eating. She blows the shofar. Sassy howls back and keeps eating. She throws an apple. Sasquatch throws it back… and the apple hits a beehive, causing bees to swarm toward Miriam and Sasquatch. Miriam and Sassy run toward the pond for safety, but Miriam slips and falls. Sasquatch picks her up, and carries her to th...

Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Zara Gonz á lez Hoang Abrams Appleseed (imprint of Abrams Books), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer   Buy at Bookshop.org The concept of measuring a year by what you’ve achieved, rather than the time spent, is not a new one (think “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent, for starters). But writer Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrator Zara González Hoang bring it down to a child-appropriate level, with, for example, illustrations of a parent measuring a child on a growth chart and a kid learning to ride a bike. While the subtitle and endpapers reference Rosh Hashanah, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah itself doesn’t make a reappearance until the end of the book. There are, however, other references to Jewish holidays and Jewish family life throughout the illustrations. I appreciated the subtle yet timeless references to the pandemic: a child getting a shot is described as “supe...

Can Sophie Change the World? by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, illustrated by Aura Lewis Chronicle Books, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org In Can Sophie Change the World? by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, Grandpop asks Sophie for one thing for his birthday – he wants HER to change the world! Worried but undaunted, Sophie gets to work. She waters plants, returns dropped stuffed animals, shares puppets, and teaches a clapping song. She does mitzvah (good deed) after mitzvah in a community of diverse people. But Sophie doesn’t feel her efforts work… until Grandpop explains that she is making the world a better place. Sophie realizes that, mitzvah by mitzvah, she’s changing the world. This sweet story about kindness teaches the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and demonstrates how everyone can help make our world a better place. Charmingly retro garden-inspired illustrations by Aura Lewis make Sophie’s story even sweeter. With its dive...

Mrs. Noah's Doves by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Alida Massari Kar-Ben Publishing, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org In harmonious, poetic language, author Jane Yolen engages readers with kindly Mrs. Noah who cares for injured birds – “ravens and robins, eagles and eiders, cockatoos and crows” and her favorite, the doves – in much the same way a loving grandmother might care for her grandchildren. And when, as we knew would happen, the rains come, Mrs. Noah moves the bird cages higher and higher, caring for the birds, keeping them dry. Still, the waters rise. Mrs. Noah asks Mr. Noah for help. With assurances from Mr. Noah that God has told him what to do, Noah’s family builds a boat – “a floating zoo” – to keep themselves, the birds, and the animals (which arrive two-by-two) safe from flooding waters. At last, the rains cease. Mrs. Noah releases her birds to search for dry land. But, the ravens do...

 Mr. Mintz's Blintzes by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Esther Hernando Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall   Buy at Bookshop.org Cool, young Mr. Mintz is exactly the kind of neighbor anyone would want. He’s friendly, remembers birthdays, helps shovel snow, and is an amazing cook who prepares food for all the neighbors. And every Shavuot, Mr. Mintz makes the world’s best blintzes…until the day that – Oops! Mr. Mintz slips and (gasp!) is out of commission. So, guess what the neighbors do? This is a heartwarming story about a kindly neighbor who fills the world with chesed , augmented by Esther Hernando’s adorable, cartoon-like illustrations that depict a diverse group of neighbors. It's accessible and easy to read, with delightful language that begs to be read aloud over and over. It's like a mash-up of A Sick Day for Amos McGee and Grandma Rose's Magic . Many Jewish values are contained in thi...

The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Lisa Anchin Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Kathy Bloomfield The world has been fighting polio for centuries. Back in the 1950s, Dr. Jonas Salk worked tirelessly to create a vaccine that would one day eradicate the polio virus from the world. Even today, the World Health Organization just announced that Africa is now free from the wild polio virus. This interesting and well-researched book describes Dr. Salk from his boyhood in an immigrant Jewish family to his becoming a doctor and inventing the polio vaccine. With detailed, clear writing and charming pictures, the story is one of focused effort and lasting success. There are many lessons to be learned here about the current COVID-19 pandemic the world is facing, and the search for a vaccine to eliminate it. This is an excellent book that has all the trappings of an award winner: a great story based in Jewish values-educat...

Have You Ever Zeen a Ziz? by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Kyle Reed Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili Reminiscent of the style of a Dr. Seuss story, Have You Ever Zeen a Ziz? is about the ziz, a mythological big bird that is referred to in ancient Jewish writings. Reed’s whimsical and colorful artwork that gives the book a fantasy world feel. The reader learns how a ziz looks and behaves, during the day and at night. Written in rhyming verse, the vocabulary is both simple (hat / cat / bat) and more advanced (prehistoric / absurd / creation / lofty). There are also several Seussian words in the book; in this story, real words are replaced by made-up rhyming words beginning with the letter ‘z’ (zis instead of this, zat instead of that, zings instead of sings, zee instead of see). This use of the ‘z’ sound will appeal to younger children, especially when the book is read aloud. Additionally, some of the words are written in bigger font...

Shalmon Bayit: A Peaceful Home by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Ag Jatkowska Category: Picture Books (Board Book) Reviewer: Mirele Kessous This board book introduces the term "shalom bayit" by comparing the different places in which animals make their homes. It's a charming approach to teaching the concept and sure to appeal to toddlers and early preschoolers. With short and simple rhymes and age-appropriate language, this board book makes for a solid read-aloud. For some reason, a couple of the rhymes fall flat (i.e."leaves/ease") which is a tad awkward if you are trying to use the book to teach children how to rhyme. The adorable illustrations have just the right amount of detail for young eyes to want to take a closer look. The father and son depicted are not wearing kippot, and mom is wearing jeans, so the book may not appeal to Orthodox readers. For everyone else, though, it’s a worthwhile purchase. Are you interested in reviewing books f...