Review: The Book of Shemot
The Devash Jr. Book of Shemot
by Chana Kupetz and Efrayim Unterman, illustrated by Rivka Tsinman
Dvash Jr (imprint of Hadar), 2025
Category: Picture Books
Reviewer: Eva Weiss
This pleasingly illustrated book presents the text of the biblical book of Exodus in chapters which follow the weekly portions. Narratives, laws, and traditional interpretations of heritage are made relevant to the daily lives and routines of children. The aim is to engage the imagination and convey the substance and ethics of scripture in a relatable way. For instance, the biblical law of safeguarding the property of another person is illustrated by interactions among children in a bowling alley. Corners of the pages are dedicated to original Hebrew verses with English translations. Each biblical portion concludes with a summary, lessons to consider, and suggestions for ways to bring biblical lessons to life ("Try it out!"), which encourages children to initiate practical good deeds, from respectful behavior to parents and elders to donating clothes and books to charity drives. The glossary offers translations of transliterated Hebrew terms, some of which are used throughout the text. For example, phrases like Benei Yisrael are likely to be familiar to children enrolled in Jewish schools, but given that the idioms are repeated often, they offer a learning opportunity for children less familiar with traditional Hebrew terms. The narrator's voice is friendly and encouraging and the illustrations are conventional but appealing. Colors are artful and the illustrations combine traditional images of biblical figures and contemporary children, with an eye for diversity and inclusion.
This book offers full immersion in traditional Jewish heritage and it will be readily appreciated by teachers and parents seeking to help children keep pace with the weekly torah portions. It can be read independently by middle-grade readers and the tone and register will also be appropriate if read out loud to younger readers (The publishers intend it for children ages four and older). The presentation is sensitive, with an eye toward including children and educators from varied Jewish ideological streams, but the ethos is clearly mainstream traditional. It also offers helpful insight into Jewish bible education for non-Jewish readers.
This book offers full immersion in traditional Jewish heritage and it will be readily appreciated by teachers and parents seeking to help children keep pace with the weekly torah portions. It can be read independently by middle-grade readers and the tone and register will also be appropriate if read out loud to younger readers (The publishers intend it for children ages four and older). The presentation is sensitive, with an eye toward including children and educators from varied Jewish ideological streams, but the ethos is clearly mainstream traditional. It also offers helpful insight into Jewish bible education for non-Jewish readers.
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Reviewer Eva Weiss is a writer, editor, and translator. She was born in New York City and worked in the publishing industry there before making her home in Israel many years ago. She writes cultural and human interest stories and is the author of the children's book I Am Israeli (Mitchell-Lane, 2016).
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