The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

We Celebrate the Light by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple, illustrated by Jieting Chen RISE x Penguin Workshop (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org The concept of light, with its many facets, has long fascinated humanity. It's a theme that resonates across cultures and is at the heart of numerous traditions and celebrations worldwide. In this universal and uplifting book, We Celebrate The Light , we glimpse some of these light celebrations worldwide. The story moves from one light celebration to another, starting with Diwali and continuing with the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Bodhi Day, and ending with the Lunar New Year. Each holiday is defined very briefly on the story pages, plus there is a more detailed glossary for each holiday at the end of the book. The words describing each celebration form a lyrical poem of hope, unity, and togetherness. Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple h...

I Like Your Chutzpah, and Other Yiddish Words You'll Like written and illustrated by Suzy Ultman Rise+Penguin Workshop, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Eva Weiss Buy at Bookshop.org This pleasingly illustrated board book offers a playful way to introduce young children to twelve beloved and familiar words in Yiddish. Each Yiddish word, from punim to bubbeleh, is highlighted in transliterated English, with adept translations on every page. The colorful and whimsical images do justice in bringing a thousand-year-old language to life for twenty-first century families. The well-chosen words are pronounceable, though a few may require introducing new phonemes. In nearly all cases the words reflect the situations in which they would naturally be used in the life of a toddler. From mishpocha and seychel to mishogas and schpilkes, the words are illustrated with humor and whimsy in universal contexts. On her website, the author describes herself as a born storyteller, illustrator, pr...