The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

This is Not a Cholent by Sarah Sassoon, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss Buy at Bookshop.org This cheerfully illustrated picture book is set in Australia and intended for pre-schoolers and young readers ages 4-8. The story is told from the perspective of a young girl, Amira, who, together with her grandmother, participates in a local "cholent" tasting competition. Their Iraqi recipe for t'bit, or hamin, is distinct from the standard Ashkenazic versions of this traditional Sabbath stew, prepared on Friday afternoon and slow-cooked (in accordance with Jewish law) until it is served on Sabbath morning. Amira, with her grandmother's support, succeeds in standing her ground despite the repeated claims that "This is not a cholent." Amira affirms, "It smells and tastes like other languages and other lands."    This simple, well-told tale brings to l...

Peek-A-Boo Passover  by Pamela Mayer, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2022 Cateogry: Picture Books Reviewer: Mirele Kessous Buy at Bookshop.org Peek-A-Boo Passover by Pamela Meyer and illustrated by Viviana Garofoli is a very simple board book about Passover for the youngest readers. It introduces the holiday through the sights, sounds, and tastes that a young child experiences in his house. There are some Hebrew terms ("Haggadah"), but other holiday items ("parsley") are only mentioned in English. The peek-a-boo theme would have leant itself well to a lift-the-flap format, but in this case each item is hinted at before being fully revealed by a page turn. Garofoli’s illustrations will be familiar to PJ Library readers from the [Holiday] Is Coming series – complete with the bright colors and cheerful faces. This is a good option for 0-3 year olds to learn about the holiday. All the characters are white, ab...

Havdalah Is Coming by Tracy Newman, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli Category: Picture Books (Board Book) Reviewer: Mirele Kessous Tracy Newman has a formula for her board books, and it works. Following on the success of Shabbat is Coming! she now has Havdalah is Coming! . Simple 2-line rhymes grace each page and conclude with the phrase “Havdalah is coming.” This is nothing exceptionally creative, but it works for little kids, who will memorize it quickly enough. The language is appropriate for the baby through age 4 audience. The illustrations by Viviana Garofoli are bright and engaging. She does include one token person of color in the end—kudos. If you want to play it safe, pick this up for your little tyke. It won’t rock the boat. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze? Click here! Reviewer Mirele says: I am a certified librarian with a specialty in children's and young adult library services. This is my 7th year working at The Ch...