The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom by Callie Metler, Shirin Rahman, and Melissa Stoller, illustrated by Kate Talbot Spork (imprint of Clear Fork Publishing), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman Buy at Bookshop.org This sequel to Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom highlights the cooperative efforts of three girls, best friends of different faiths. In the earlier book, the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim friends planted a tree together in Peace Park. In the sequel, the bridge leading to the park has become unsafe and the children rally their community to raise money for its restoration, using brainstorming and teamwork.  The clear text is accompanied by graphic artwork that is color drenched and engaging. Jewish Hannah and Christian Molly present as white, while Muslim Savera has dark skin. Their classmates have a variety of skin tones and one child is in a wheelchair. The three authors represent the three religious backgrounds of the main characters....

Review: Sadie's Shabbat Stories by Melissa Stoller, illustrated by Lisa Goldberg Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili  Buy at Bookshop.org In Sadie’s Shabbat Stories , author Stoller has crafted a sweet story about the three Judaic items that are used by Sadie’s grandmother, her Nana, on Shabbat: “silver candlesticks, a sacred kiddush cup full of wine or grape juice, and a challah cover to honor the special bread.” At each point of use on this Friday night, young Sadie asks her grandmother to tell her the history behind each item. A melodious refrain in the text has Sadie envisioning her ancestors after Nana relates each of the three stories and ably ties the past to the present for the reader. After Sadie hears all of these stories, she tells her own Shabbat story which includes the three aforementioned objects as well as a Star of David pendant which Sadie has gifted to Nana. Eventually, the whole book comes full circle with Sadie as a grandmother he...