The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Golem Goes to Camp by Todd Gutnick, illustrated by Ruth Bennett Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rebecca Klempner Buy at Bookshop.org Emmett Cohen, a 10-year-old from Philadelphia, spends the summer at Camp Teva in Upstate New York. While he's generally excited about camp, he's annoyed that his artist parents signed him up to take a week of art classes, since Emmett is entirely disinterested in art. He spends his first day in the art shed making a clay monster. When he carves his name in Hebrew letters -- alef, mem, tav -- onto the sculpture. Later, we learn those letters also spell the Hebrew word EMET, "truth." At first, Emmett sticks it in a corner of his bunkhouse, Cabin 15. But then, it winks and smiles at Emmett's pal, Jake. When Jake freaks out about that, Emmett and Jake's conversation is overheard by Reisha, a particularly smart girl. She explains what a golem is and how Emmett accidentally mad...

Daddy, Can You Make Me Tall? by Rona Milch Novick, PhD, illustrated by Ana Sebastián Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org Daddy, Can You Make Me Tall? centers around a child preparing for Shabbat and needing help with various tasks. In each scenario, one of his parents shows him how to complete the task on his own, thus fostering his independence. There’s a message here for both parents and children. Parents are gently reminded to show kids how to do things for themselves. Children learn that a feeling of accomplishment is its own reward. An author’s note delves further into the psychological components. All readers will see that preparing for Shabbat is a family affair that everyone can participate in and enjoy together. The illustrations by Sebastián are a treasure! Pages contains delightful little nuggets of children’s toys, a warm home, and a precious dog. Each subsequent revisiting will reveal...

Seven Good Years: A Yiddish Folktale by Shoham Smith, illustrated by Eitan Eloa, translated by Ilana Kurshan Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman Buy at Bookshop.org The proverb from Pirkei Avot, “Who is wealthy? One who is content with what he has,” is brought to life in this cozy portrayal of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. This is a child-friendly adaptation of a story by Isaac Peretz, first published in the early 1900’s. Poor Tuvia meets a stranger who offers him enough gold to last seven years. After he and his wife agree to accept the gift they enjoy seven bountiful years. But when the stranger returns, Tuvia and his family are still wearing their raggedy clothing and living in their ramshackle hut. The stranger asks why Tuvia hasn’t spent all the gold. Tuvia replies that they spent what they needed to educate their children but had no need for anything else. They were satisfied with meeting their simples...

Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros Inkyard Press, 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Laurie Adler Buy at Bookshop.org When twelve-year-old Zach Darlington buys a magical antique ring for his mother’s birthday, he unwittingly unleashes an egotistic and snarky demon king, some terrifying mythological monsters, and a nefarious secret society. Zach, his best friend Sandra, and demon Ashmedai, or Ash, must struggle within themselves and with each other in order to vanquish ancient beasts and foil a deadly apocalyptic prophecy. Strong sub-plots include Zach’s trepidation about coming out, antisemitism, homophobia, bullying, and navigating a first crush. Ring of Solomon is a well-paced, action-packed mythological adventure that fits snugly into the popular genre of Percy Jackson and the Rick Riordon Presents imprint. It will have strong appeal to middle grade readers between 8-12 years, especially those who enjoy mythology and monsters. As evidenced by his other books, most notably The Cit...

Not So Shy by Noa Nimrodi Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Twelve-year-old Shai (pronounced "shy") relocates with her family from Israel to California so that her Abba can pursue a job opportunity in a science lab developing GMO non-browning avocados. She thoroughly resents the move and resists making new friends, but ends up creating strong relationships with Korean American neighbor Kay-Lee, white non-Jewish cute geek Chris, and Muslim Hakim. After a rocky start, when Hakim assumes that an Israeli will automatically dislike him, the two realize that Shai's Iraqi-Jewish heritage bears similarities to Hakim's family background. Together, they work on science projects, deepen their friendship, and face Islamophobic and antisemitic bullying at school. Shai and her family bond with Kay-Lee's family and find ways to support each other. Shai misses her Saba and Savta deep...

Rose Spoke Out: The Story of Rose Schneiderman by Emma Carlson Berne, illustrated by Giovanni Abeille Apples & Honey (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick Buy at Bookshop.org This is the story of Rose Schneiderman, a Jewish immigrant from Poland who became a leading labor activist in early 20th-century NYC. When 13-year-old Rose's father died, she had to leave school and go to work in a sweatshop, where she and other women sewed hats under harsh and unsafe conditions. Learning that females earned less than males was the final straw in Rose's mounting anger. She ultimately led a walkout by thousands of women in hundreds of factories, demanding better working conditions and fairer wages. Things improved a little, but not enough to prevent the notorious Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in 1911. In the wake of that tragedy, Rose's impassioned speech before a packed audience at the Metropolitan Opera House became a turning po...

Passover: A Celebration of Freedom by Bonnie Bader, illustrated by Joanie Stone Big Golden Books (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Karen Shakman Buy at Bookshop.org The Passover story is one filled with drama and intrigue, and Bonnie Bader does the story justice in her new retelling: Passover: A Celebration of Freedom . In the spirit of the Golden Books, it is a fairly traditional and loyal retelling of the story of Moses and the Jewish people’s escape from Egypt, with iconic imagery of baby Moses in the basket, the burning bush, and the parting of the Red Sea. Bader deftly captures the highlights of the story and has great instincts for the elements that are of most interest to children who may be hearing it for the first time, or for children who are familiar with the story. Perhaps the most exciting spread of the book is when Bader covers six of the plagues, building tension as we move from itchy lice to the slaying of the first born. When we ...

The Not-Quite-Perfect Passover (Ruby Celebrates! series) by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Olga & Aleksey Ivanov Albert Whitman & Co., 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org This lovely book is another entry in Laura Gehl's "Ruby Celebrates!" Jewish holiday series. In this episode, mistakes are made, accidents happen, but obstacles are overcome, and of course there is a happy ending. The art is pleasantly childlike, is in tune with the cheerful nature of the story, shows familial resemblances, and helps to tell the tale. Ruby and her brother appear to be about five and two years old respectively, and their actions, interactions and emotions are extremely realistic--they are just like my grandchildren! The representation appears authentic for Ashkenazi Conservative or Reform Jews, with Passover an integral part of the story. Non-Jewish readers will still be able to appreciate the gentle humor of this book. It helps the reader understan...