Review: Awe-Some Days: Poems about the Jewish Holidays
Awe-Some Days: Poems About the Jewish Holidays by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte Dial Books (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Dina Herbert Buy at Bookshop.org Awe-Some Days is a collection of short, delightful poems about each of the major and minor holidays of the Jewish year, with accompanying text explanations. The poems and text provide helpful history and traditions for the holidays. The book follows a white-presenting family celebrating with extended family and friends at synagogue and school. Celebrants include diverse faces and abilities. The narrator of the poems, one of the children, also compares notes with cousins in Israel for holidays: Tu B’Shevat has almond blossoms in Israel, while it’s still cold in United States; the cousins trade pictures of flags on their respective Independence Days; the narrator learns that during Lag B’Omer they shoot bows and arrows in Israel. It’s a lovely connection, and relatable for re