The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

On the Wings of Eagles by Tami Lehman-Wilzig, illustrated by Alisha Monnin Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Leah Cypess   Buy at Bookshop.org On the Wings of Eagles is a beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated picture book. It tells the story of the evacuation of the Jews of Yemen in 1949, when they were flown to Israel in Alaksa Airline’s planes. By combining the narratives of two individuals—a Yemeni girl and an Alaskan Airline pilot—the author creates a story that is both tense and heartwarming. The exquisite illustrations not only complement the story but form an essential part of it. While reading, I wondered whether a certain incident in the picture book was actually true. The short but clear afterword answered all my questions about the historical facts. (And the incident I had wondered about was, in fact, true. It's a spoiler, so you'll have to read it for yourself.) This important and expertly-crafted ...

A Place Called Galveston by Andrea Shapiro, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva   Buy at Bookshop.org   A Place Called Galveston showcases both Jewish hardship and triumph. Life for Russian Jewry was bleak; antisemitism and oppression occurred throughout generations. Nothing ever improved. Prospects of a better life in America (not without its own difficulties) tempted those who could scrape together the ship-passage fare. Galveston, Texas was believed to be a welcome refuge for Jewish immigrants, where there was an established Jewish community and trade work could be found. In this story, two young men make the arduous journey, leaving their families behind in Russia with promises for future reunions. After weeks at sea, the men are greeted by bicycle-riding Rabbi Henry Cohen in Galveston. The Jewish community there welcomed them with lodging, food, and job prospects. The t...

All the Things We Found by Joanne Levy Orca, 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Lisa Trank   Buy at Bookshop.org In Joanne Levy's All the Things We Found , 11-year-old Ruthie is navigating big, difficult changes from the aftermath of her baby brother’s stillbirth and her mother's subsequent postpartum depression, to her parents' divorce, new stepfather, and standoffish older stepbrothers. When Ruthie’s mother announces that she is pregnant, Ruthie’s grief and anxieties about her baby brother’s passing are reignited. Ruthie finds solace with her dog Izzy, and her best friend, Jenna, and their shared passion for the fantasy book series Unicorns of Faravelle . The two girls eagerly anticipate book number eight, but when they learn it's been canceled, Ruthie is determined to uncover why, even attempting to write the book herself. On a walk with Izzy to the cemetery where her brother is buried, Ruthie encounters an older woman sitting on a bench, writing in a red noteboo...

The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man's Journey Across Wartime Europe written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz Farrar Straus Giroux, 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein   Buy at Bookshop.org Employing a conversational, first-person narrative, the late author and illustrator Uri Shulevitz writes in the voice of his uncle, Henri, whom he met after both survived World War II. Born Yehiel Szulewicz in early 20th century Poland, Szulewicz showed early on that he was curious about the world beyond his Polish village and wouldn’t let obstacles get in his way of seeking adventure. Striking out from home at 15 ½ years old, thinking he would walk to the Holy Land, he traveled through Poland, much of central and southern Europe, eventually landing in Spain and joining the fight against Franco, all the while either staying with fellow Jews and earning small amounts of money to help him get by, or sleeping outside, “with the sky as my blanket”. When money or official papers were...

Amazing Annie: The Spectacular and True Adventures of Annie Kopchovsky by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Adriana Predoi Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Amy Brook Cohen   Buy at Bookshop.org Amazing Annie tells the remarkable story of Annie Kopchovsky's 1894-1895 journey around the world on a bicycle. Setting off from Boston and heading eastward, she completed the trip in just over 14 months, becoming the first woman in history to circumnavigate the globe by bike. Annie faced all kinds of challenges, such as when her skirt kept getting entangled in her bike wheels. But she always found a solution for every problem. For this one, Annie went out and bought pants - not the done thing for a woman in 1894! All along her journey, Annie regaled the people she met with stories about her journey - many of them full of hyperbole or pure fabrication - she loved to spin a great story! Early in the story, we learn that Annie, a Jewi...

Just Say Welcome! by Emily Raij, illustrated by Nathalia Takeyama Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Claire Freeland   Buy at Bookshop.org Emily Raij’s story of welcoming immigrants is a straightforward description of one family, with assistance from the community, helping another family. A mother and her two children from Iraq come to stay with Tilly’s Jewish family for a week before moving into their own place. Tilly and her brother pitch in to prepare for the guests. The community helps by bringing clothes collected at a synagogue and a stew from a neighbor. Tilly’s family serves typical Middle Eastern food so the new family will feel more at home. Tilly’s brother and the Iraqi boy find a common interest in soccer. By the end of the week, both families have grown attached to one another. Brief backmatter describes the value of welcoming the stranger. Nathalia Takeyama’s art is soft and appealing, using a pleasing color palette. The ch...