The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

    Tía Fortuna's New Home by Ruth Behar, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth Alfred A. Knopf, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick   Buy at Bookshop.org   In Miami, Estrella loves to visit her elderly aunt, Tía Fortuna, and explore their shared heritage as Sephardic Jews. Fortuna had fled her home in Havana during the Cuban Revolution, bringing only a mezuzah, her memories, and the key to her Cuban home. Now Fortuna has to move again – into an assisted living facility – because her beloved Miami apartment building is slated for demolition. On moving day, Estrella is surprised that her aunt seems happy instead of sad or frightened. Over the course of the day, though, Fortuna shares her optimism, the stories from her colorful life, and the history of their ancestors. Estrella learns that goodbyes lead to new beginnings, and that changes can be weathered if you hold onto family memories, traditions, and a spirit of hopefulness.    The narr...

My First Book of Famous Jews by Julie Merberg, illustrated by Julie Wilson  Downtown Bookworks, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ronna Mandel Buy at Bookshop.org “Can we talk?” If little ones don’t recognize this signature question from the late comedian Joan Rivers, perhaps parents or grandparents reading the book to them will. Rivers is just one of the more than three dozen famous Jews presented in this board book that I wish I’d written! Told in rhyme, My First Book of Famous Jews is a fabulous introduction to the talented individuals who have made lasting and significant contributions to science, literature, music, film, politics and the judiciary—even activism, an important inclusion. It’s never too soon to start sharing the broad impact Jewish people have made in every field. This book sings the praises of everyone from Anne Frank to Helen Frankenthaler, from Steven Spielberg to Gloria Steinem in their respective categories. The vibrant art throughout this book brings ...

In the Market of Zakrobat by Ori Elon, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt Green Bean Books, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ruth Horowitz Buy at Bookshop.org The plot of In the Market of Zakrobat will likely be familiar to many Jewish readers. It’s based on a the much-told story of Yosef Moker Shabbos, which itself is based on a tale from the Talmud. The author’s name might also be familiar. Ori Elon co-created the popular Israeli TV show/Netflix series Shtisel , and he brings the same winning combination of deep Jewish rootedness and up-to-date storytelling sensibility to this delightful picture book.    Stingy Baltosar lives alone, hoarding his chests of gold coins. His impoverished neighbor Yosef so cherishes Shabbat that he spends his few pennies purchasing the finest foods to welcome the Sabbath. When Baltosar dreams that his coins are running away to Yosef’s hut, he trades them all for a single diamond, which he sews into the lining of his hat. The h...

The Chocolate King by Michael Leventhal, illustrated by Laura Catalán Green Bean Books  (distributed in the US by Apples & Honey), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Cynthia Levinson Buy at Bookshop.org Little Benjamin, who immigrated to France from Spain with his family when he was a baby, longs to be a Chocolate King, just like his grandfather, Marco. But, in 1630, no one in France had tasted chocolate—and, when they did, they hated it. Still, Benjamin loves to hear Marco’s tales of life in Spain before they were forced to become conversos. Trying to learn the family trade, Benjamin sneaks into the kitchen, stumbles, makes a mess of the chocolate cooking on the stove, and literally slips out the door, landing in front of the carriage of the real King of France. Whereupon, the king downs four cups of cocoa and declares it delicious. From then on, the French people love chocolate, and the family prospers. Back matter contains “A Bite-Sized History of Chocolate” and depicti...

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Little People, BIG DREAMS) by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Judit Orosz Frances Lincoln Children's Books (imprint of The Quarto Group) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld Buy at Bookshop.org What's left to say about Ruth Bader Ginsberg that has not been said already? That's the problem that faces every picture book author contemplating a book about her, and one that Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara solves by creating this picture book biography as part of a long series about people who go on to extraordinary things in their lives. Written in British English (Vegara is Spanish), Vegara tells a straightforward tale of RBG, ending with a death that reflected a life which was all her mother dreamed of. Vegara traces RBG's feminism back to her mom, with the mother's death having a big influence on the protagonist. The text is straight-ahead, and not afraid of an exclamation point to make a point or two. The challenge in all boo...

 Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long Viking Books for Young Readers (imprint of Penguin Random House) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz   Buy at Bookshop.org Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate, is the young activist poet who won accolades for her inspiring reading of "The Hill We Climb" at the presidential inauguration in 2021. Her first picture book is Change Sings: A Children's Anthem , and it carries the same strong message of empowerment.  The nameless young narrator tells us "There is hope where my change sings" and evokes the many ways we can all work together to make the world a better place. While the lyrical text may be a bit obscure for younger readers, the realistic illustrations by Loren Long make it clear that the lovely black girl with her oversize guitar is encouraging everyone to join her in acts of tikkun olam. She hands out instruments to diverse kids to form a band, feeds ...

  The Welcome Chair by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney Simon & Schuster Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Mirele Kessous Buy at Bookshop.org Many people are familiar with Rosemary Wells as a beloved writer and illustrator of the Max and Ruby picture books. The audience for her latest book, The Welcome Chair, is slightly older, anywhere from precocious 1st graders through 4th graders. The semi-autobiographical story follows a rocking chair throughout generations and owners. It starts with Wells’ Jewish great-great grandfather in Germany and leads up to the present day. Wells took poetic license to imagine where this special chair would have traveled after her family surrendered it. The theme of immigration has a strong and positive presence in this book, as the owners of the chair are all new immigrants, and all of them carve the word “welcome” into the back of the chair in their respective languages. The narrative moves forward briskly, without dwelling too long o...

The Christmas Mitzvah by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha Creston Books Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer Buy at Bookshop.org The Christmas Mitzvah by Jeff Gottesfeld nearly brought me to tears. More than once. Inspired by the real-life Al Rosen of Milwaukee, this book tells the story, in simple but effective language, of how this Jewish man volunteered to take over work for those celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve. He worked all sorts of jobs, mostly unskilled, and passed the tradition down to his children and grandchildren, as well as inspiring people around the world to substitute for others on their holy days. In a nice touch, the fictitious version of Al continues his mitzvah for exactly 36 years - twice chai (18), the Hebrew number associated with life.    The brightly colored illustrations complement the text beautifully, showing a truly diverse city. The illustrator does not shy away from depicting the physical...

Lights in the Night: A Story for Shabbat by Chris Barash, illustrated by Maya Shleifer Green Bean Books Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick Buy at Green Bean Books This short picture book for the youngest audiences charmingly celebrates Shabbat through the symbol of light. Dusk falls gently on a Friday evening in a waterfront village. There, a mother, father and small boy welcome the Sabbath while admiring the different sources of light that contribute to their joy. In addition to the radiance of the Sabbath candles, there are flashlights, lanterns, a lighthouse, the moon and stars, fireflies, and of course a bedroom nightlight.    Told in spare, rhyming verse, this story is accompanied by soft, earth-tone illustrations that showcase the Shabbat rituals of candles, challah and family time. The hardcover version glows in the dark—a feature that is sure to be a bedtime hit with youngsters. I highly recommend this delightful book for ages 0-4. ...

With Great Power: The Marvelous Stan Lee, An Unauthorized Biography by Annie Hunter Eriksen, illustrated by Lee Gatlin Page Street Kids (imprint of Page Street Publishing) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Cynthia Levinson Buy at Bookshop.org Kazow! Kids who love Spider-Man, The Thing—in fact, any comic book about super heroes—will twist themselves into knots to read this book and stick to it like Spidey himself. This picture book biography of Stan Lee—born Stanley Lieber—opens with our hero as a gawky boy, hemmed in within a tiny apartment in the Bronx. So, what does he do? First, he reads every story he can get his hands on, finding adventures from Frankenstein to Shakespeare. Then, at age sixteen, he gets a job as an errand-runner at a publisher of comics. Imaginative and hard-working, Stan, who hides his real name behind the pen-name Stan Lee when he writes copy, quickly becomes editor! However, bored by formulaic story-telling of damsels in distress saved by flawless heroes in whi...

I Am Hava: A Song's Story of Love, Hope & Joy by Freda Lewkowicz, illustrated by Siona Benjamin Intergalactic Afikomen Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Mirele Kessous Buy at Bookshop.org I Am Hava is an unusual and exceptional picture book that can be appreciated by all ages, from 5 year olds all the way up to adults. The story describes the origin of the song Hava Nagila. Voiced by the melody itself, we are taken on a journey from the niggun’s origins in Poland to its present form as the beloved, well-known song we recognize today. What you get is a poetic history lesson that contains rather sophisticated ideas (persecution, redemption, etc.), many of which will fly over the heads of younger readers but will resonate with older ones. Hebrew and Yiddish words are sprinkled throughout the book, although whether the author uses the word mitzvah correctly is up for debate. Hava narrates that: “I spread hope and joy even in times of trouble. That was my mitzvah.” The word mitz...

Thank You, Dr. Salk! The Scientist Who Beat Polio and Healed the World by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Mike Dutton Farrar Straus Giroux Books For Young Readers (imprint of Macmillan) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Belinda Brock Buy at Bookshop.org Thank You, Dr. Salk introduces us to Jonas Salk as a child, an unlikely hero who figures out that there is more than one way to be brave. Inspired by his desire to heal the world, and specifically to eliminate polio, he demonstrates determination and a strong work ethic to realize his dream. The author relates Dr. Salk's life of study and scientific research in an uncomplicated and easily understandable way. Jonas Salk is a warm and relatable hero who will capture children's interest. The bright and engaging illustrations enhance the text and reinforce how important Dr. Salk and polio research was to the community. Dutton creates appealing and detailed urban neighborhoods of an earlier era filled with people of diverse backgrounds...

You're My Little Latke Written and illustrated by Natalie Marshall Silver Dolphin Books (imprint of Printers Row) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Mirele Kessous   Buy at Bookshop.org You’re My Little Latke is a Chanukah board book appropriate for children ages 0-3. Each page has a pair of Chanukah-related objects (menorahs, dreidels, latkes, etc.) depicted as parent and child. The narrator of the story, presumably the parent, is professing his/her love for their kinderlach . Endearing, bright pictures of baby menorahs and baby latkes are a crowd-pleaser, and toddlers who know something about the holiday will be excited to see their favorite parts of the holiday come alive. Although the text is age-appropriate, it is pretty generic and lacks the creativity present in the illustrations. In this reviewer's opinion, the author missed the opportunity to incorporate Hebrew words (for example, jelly donut is used instead of sufganiya). Nevertheless, if you are looking for a cute gi...

Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom by Callie Metler, Shirin Rahman, and Melissa Stoller, illustrated by Kate Talbot Clear Fork Publishing Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Cynthia Levinson Buy at Bookshop.org Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom by Callie Metler, Shirin Rahman, and Melissa Stoller tells the interlocking stories of three girls—Molly, who is Catholic, Savera, who is Muslim, and Hannah, who is Jewish. The girls are neighbors and elementary school classmates. Anxious on the first day of school, each child is fortunate to have a grownup who provides comfort through words and a necklace—a cross for Molly, a prayer for Savera, and a Mogen David for Hannah—which they notice on each other as soon as they meet. Their teacher shows them how to plant seeds. When the girls’ efforts are not immediately successful, they help each other replant. Through the winter, the colorful illustrations show the girls’ friendship blossoming as they play at each other’s homes. In ...

Hello, Hanukkah! written and illustrated by Susan S. Novich Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss Buy at Kar-Ben.com The eye-pleasing colors and collage illustrations of this holiday board book will appeal to toddlers and parents alike. In a note, author and illustrator Susan S. Novich explains her penchant for creating art with felt and scraps that other people would throw away. Hello, Hanukkah! features an appealing family of badgers, with a father and son who wear kippot. The young cub celebrates the holiday through rituals, perching himself on the number drawn on each page, counting the nights, and reciting the color of the candles.   The book light-heartedly covers many educational bases—blessings, songs, latkes, and stories, as well as calling out numbers and colors. Alongside the candle-lighting badger (a mammal common in Israel), each page also features the distinctive crowned Hoopoe bird, Isr...

A Snake, a Flood, a Hidden Baby: Bible Stories for Children by Meir Shalev, translated by Ilana Kershan, illustrated by Emanuele Luzzati Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing) Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss   Buy at Bookshop.org   This book offers an engaging telling of six biblical stories (five from Genesis and one from Exodus) as interpreted by the iconic Israeli author Meir Shalev. The English translation by Ilana Kershan, a writer steeped in Jewish heritage, is both natural and nuanced. The luminous illustrations by the Italian artist Emanuele Luzzati will ignite the imagination of readers of all ages.    The narratives in this sophisticated picture book are well-suited to middle-grade readers, with exchanges between the biblical heroes made relatable for young readers: in the chapter about Adam and Eve, “The two of them looked at each other, blushed, and then burst out laughing.” There are also imaginative flourishes,...

Beep Beep Bubbie by Bonnie Sherr Klein, illustrated by Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal Tradewinds Books Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Sandy Wasserman Buy at Bookshop.org We meet brother and sister, Kate and Nate on Shabbat, headed for a visit to Bubbie's house for yet another adventure with their active grandmother. Their plan is to share a library book with her and then buy apples for Rosh Hashanah. Instead they meet their granny on a scooter, and they are hugely disappointed. They assume their active granny is no more! But granny shows them that her new electric scooter is an asset and not a liability; she is as active and fun as ever. Their day with her is filled with the adventures they had planned and even more, with granny leading the way. The colorful illustrations are so inviting and enticing; the young reader will feel they are on the bus with them, and at the market, and meeting new people, and flying a kite in the park. As a wonderful bonus, the scooter is named GLADYS. Why? ...

And So Is Hashem by Aura Dweck, illustrated by Gillian Flint Hachai Publishing Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Chava Pinchuck Buy at Hachai.com When we do things that make other people happy, Hashem is also happy. So when a boy's mother calls him and he stops playing to go to her, when a girl refrains from waking up her sleeping father, when a boy greets his grandmother with a hug and a snack, when children share their toys or help neighbors, all these people are happy, "and so is Hashem." The repetition works well for young readers as they learn the not-so-subtle lesson. The illustrations are cute and colorful, depicting both boys and girls. The boys and the Tatty (father) are obviously wearing kippot, while the women appear to be wearing sheitels. A very short glossary includes Hashem, Bubby, and Tatty, but it easily adapted for all Jewish audiences by using the English words while reading.    The book is based on a verse from Pirkei Avos (3:13): "He used to say...

The Traveling Smile written and illustrated by Rikki Benenfeld Hachai Publishing Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Chava Pinchuck   Buy at Hachai.com   Rikki Benefeld is a prolific author of many books for Hachai. On the one hand, it is nice for children to recognize the style of the writing and the pictures. On the other, it looks very much like her other books. A young boy wakes up in a good mood, and his happiness is infectious. He hugs his mother, and she smiles. He gives his sister some of his muffin, and she smiles. Each person "passes" a smile onto another person, until it comes full circle when a girl smiles at an older woman, who is the grandmother of the original boy. She had brought her smile along for a visit. After these encounters, the refrain repeats, "Share a smile happy and strong. And watch those smiles travel along!" The book is dedicated in memory of a man who followed the precept of Pirkei Avos and "greeted everyone with a pleasant countena...

From My Heart: A Child Talks to Hashem by Esty Perman, illustrated by Anna Abramskaya Hachai Publishing Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Chava Pinchuck   A girl talks to Hashem because she has so much to tell God. She talks to Hashem a lot -- when she's happy, when she's said, when she's scared, and when sick people need help. Sometimes she sings the set prayers, and other times she whispers her own words. She makes sure to ask for Moshiach because she is anxious for him to come. The illustrations are vibrant and the girl's facial expressions make her feelings clear. Interestingly, there are no males depicted in the book. Books about God and prayer for young readers are challenging because it's hard to explain spiritual concepts. The "report" to Hashem is a good premise for the girl to give examples of why she talks to Hashem, and is reminiscent of (l'havdil) Anne LaMott's distillation of prayer into "Thanks, Help, Wow!". For adults, it...