Review: A Whale of a Tale
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...