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Start the Day by Vicki L. Weber, illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez Apples & Honey (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld Buy at Bookshop.org The very best time for kids to learn nearly anything is when they are young. This is especially true when it comes to learning a second language. Vicki L. Weber's START THE DAY, with inviting illustrations by Shirley Ng-Benitez, puts this principle to work with the Hebrew phrase for "Good morning," *boker tov.* Her board book for the youngest children is part of a series from Apples & Honey Press that includes the havdalah-centered A NEW WEEK, SHABBAT SHALOM, and more. Weber's rhyming text is simple enough for any toddler to grasp -- "good morning all, it's time to rise / and rub the sleep from rested eyes" -- and uncommonly active. Each page will give the young person being read to the opportunity to do something. They can touch their noses, or wiggle their toes. ...

Shabbat Shalom by Vicki L. Weber, illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org Shabbat Shalom  is part of a collection of four board books for very young children, which also includes  Start the Day, A New Week , and  Time for Bed . This particular title welcomes the reader into Shabbat with a cover showcasing children cheerfully eating and drinking while wearing bibs that say, "Shabbat Shalom." The reader meets toddlers who participate in Shabbat rituals like lighting candles and eating challah. Basic Shabbat vocabulary is introduced, as well as the Hebrew (transliterated) words "Saba" for grandfather and "Savta" for grandmother. I was thrilled to see the toddlers blessed by their parents with the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim), a customary blessing for Friday night, which is not often portrayed in children's books. The illustrat...

A New Week by Vicki L. Weber, illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org A New Week is part of a collection of four board books for very young children, which also includes Start the Day, Shabbat Shalom , and Time for Bed . This particular title introduces children to the ritual of Havdalah, and the greeting said at the end of Shabbat - Shavua Tov.  The story starts with two toddlers enjoying playing together on the day of rest.  As evening comes, they say goodbye to the sun and Shabbat, and we learn that the week starts at this point, in the evening - a nice touch, as this fact that is not often made clear in children's books. We see the Havdalah candle lit, and we are asked the question, what greeting do we say to welcome this new week? That is when we learn the phrase "shavua tov" - a good week. The book ends with happy kids dancing, with Havdalah ...

Time for Bed by Vicki L. Weber, illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Vernick The six full-page spreads in this upbeat board book show increasingly drowsy babies and toddlers getting ready for bed before wishing each other lailah tov (good night). The full-color illustrations and a handful of rhyming lines take the babies through bathtime, story reading, singing, and goodnight hugs and cuddles. The adults and children have white, brown and black skin, adding appreciated diversity to the book. Time For Bed models a happy bedtime routine – including the Hebrew goodnight wishes – followed by a peaceful sleep. Babies and toddlers will enjoy its cheerful, comforting content, plus the opportunity to practice a sweet Hebrew phrase.  While this book is a welcome addition to libraries for the youngest Jewish children, the only Jewish-specific content is the term lailah tov , which appears once i...