The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

The Prisoner and the Writer by Heather Camlot, illustrated by Sophie Casson Groundwood Books, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Emily Roth Buy at Bookshop.org The Prisoner and the Writer recounts the famous Dreyfus Affair of late 19th century France, in which military officer Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused of sharing confidential information with the Germans. After Dreyfus was sentenced to life in prison on an island, writer Emile Zola published a now-famous opinion piece in a French newspaper titled “J’Accuse…!” stating that Dreyfus' imprisonment was a blatant act of antisemitism. Although the two men never met, these events inextricably bind them together. The Prisoner and the Writer focuses more on the emotional journeys of Dreyfus and Zola, jumping right into the action of the story and weaving back and forth between their points of view to highlight the contrasts between their lives and their perspectives. Camlot's spare poetic verse does a remarkable job of gett...

Tizzy the Dizzy Dreidel by Allison & Wayne Marks, illustrated by Francesca Assirelli Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org In this rhyming story, poor Tizzy the dreidel has a self-confidence problem, because she gets dizzy when she spins. When the family competes for the longest spin, Tizzy feels she’ll be overlooked and discounted. Kids will identify with the theme of feeling left out. It’s reminiscent of waiting to be picked for a team in gym, and the disheartening feeling of being chosen last. But four-year-old Sara chooses Tizzy and is excited to play the game. Tizzy is thrilled with getting a chance to shine, and she doesn’t want to disappoint. Tizzy spins through the house for the entire eight days of Hanukkah, winning the contest and the respect of her dreidel friends. The gentle lessons of giving the underdog a chance and overcoming fears and self-doubt are good reminders for kids. Th...

A Donut in Time: A Hanukkah Story by Elana Rubinstein, illustrated by Jennifer Naalchigar Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus Buy at Bookshop.org In A Donut in Time , Saralee helps out in her Zayde's restaurant, Siegel House. Noses play a very important role when Jewish holiday meals are involved. Saralee knows very well how important it is to distinguish the different smells when you work in a restaurant kitchen. Especially for Hanukkah, there are all the delicious fried foods with very distinctive smells.Everyone in the Siegel family joins in to get ready for customers on the first night of Hanukkah. They are cooking latkes and sufganiyot. This year they are going to use Saralee's original recipe for peanut butter and jelly donuts.  Saralee has an unusual talent, a super nose, which Zadie says she inherited from her great grandmother, Golda or Gigi. Saralee has always felt unusual because of her extr...

The Boston Chocolate Party by Tami Lehman-Wilzig and Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz, illustrated by Fede Combi Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick Buy at Bookshop.org Joshua Mendes lives in colonial Newport, Rhode Island, where his father imports chocolate beans and teaches café owners how to make hot chocolate as an alternative to the highly taxed tea. It’s Hanukkah—or, as Joshua’s Sephardic family calls it, Janucá—and Joshua is missing his friend Isaac. Isaac has recently moved to Boston with his widowed mother, who is hoping to find work in the city. When Joshua visits Boston and sees how destitute his friend has become, he has a brainstorm. He convinces his father to create a chocolate café in the shed right outside Isaac’s home and hire Isaac’s mother to run it. On the night before the “chocolate house” is to open—which is also the last night of Hanukkah—the Boston Tea Party occurs right outside Isaac’s window. T...

Mendel's Hanukkah Mess Up by Chana and Larry Stiefel, illustrated by Daphna Awadish Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman   Buy at Bookshop.org Mendel has “messed up” so many Hanukkahs with hysterical thoughtless mistakes that he is shocked when his rabbi gives him the most important task of all. This year he will drive the Mitzvah Mobile through the town to share the miracle of Hanukkah. All goes well until he drives under a low overpass, “crumpling the car like used gift wrap”. A new holiday miracle occurs: in the wreckage, the menorah’s candles are still lit! All ends well when the local news covers the event, allowing Mendel to broadcast the message, “we each have a spark to light up the world.” Digital artwork adds to the fun, creating opportunities for discussion while keeping young readers excited about turning the pages. Backmatter including a brief history of the holiday, dreidel playing instructi...

J is for Janucá by Melanie Romero, illustrated by Cassie Gonzales Lil' Libros, 2022 Category: Picture Books  Reviewer: Karin Fisher-Golton Buy at Bookshop.org J is for Janucá is a joyful, educational celebration of languages and of Hanukkah. Each page of this alphabet book introduces a Spanish word and its English equivalent, beginning with “Aa is for Aceite/Oil.” Each page also includes a paragraph of text in English and a paragraph in Spanish with the same content. Depending on the age, language abilities, and interests of the reader, one could read one, both, or neither paragraph. The letters follow the Spanish alphabet, so include ch, ll, ñ, and rr. This structure, in itself, demonstrates information about language—that there are multiple alphabets and multiple words that describe the same holiday. And Jews celebrate Hanukkah in many languages. Melanie Romero’s cheery, compact text is rich with information. The first several letters of the book cover key components of Hanukkah...

We Survived the Holocaust: The Bluma and Felix Goldberg Story by Frank W. Baker, illustrated by Tim E. Ogline Image and Wonder, 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Lisa Trank Buy at Bookshop.org The field of graphic novels often covers difficult topics through a delicate balance of the visual and the word. In the world of Jewish literature, graphic novels provide a unique way to tell the story of the Holocaust to a wide range of audiences, and in particular, younger readers. The graphic novel We Survived the Holocaust by Frank W. Baker and Tim E. Ogline began with a simple request. “Frankie, do something with this,” Felix Goldberg said, handing the author the speech he’d just delivered to their South Carolina synagogue on Yom Hashoah in 2000. Baker, a lifelong friend of the Goldbergs, worked with the family to create www.storiesofsurvival.org , a website dedicated to the Goldbergs' life before, during, and after World War II, and their life in South Carolina. However, after rea...