The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Kayla and Kugel's Super Sweet Rosh Hashanah written and illustrated by Ann D. Koffsky Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein Buy at Bookshop.org Kayla and her dog Kugel set off for the farmer’s market to get ready for Rosh Hashanah in this richly illustrated book for newly independent readers. Kugel runs in circles, which Kayla equates with the round challahs for the holiday, and accidentally knocks over honey jars, an example of a mistake in need of an apology. Other holiday related things included are the blowing of a shofar, picking apples, and taschlich. A note to readers offers up some discussion questions and a brief glossary. This story, part of a series, offers Jewish children age appropriate ways to connect to the preparations and meaning of Rosh Hashanah. The humorous antics of Kugel are used to convey some facts, which Kayla clearly understands and takes joy in sharing, although they are not particularl...

My Shofar written and illustrated by Ann Diament Koffsky Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Board Book Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein   Buy at Bookshop.org A young elephant girl explores the concepts of quiet and loud while trying to blow a shofar. Readers will enjoy the humorous twist of the horn being filled with peanuts, thus causing the lack of volume. The illustrations feature a personable elephant and her loving mother, arranged with plenty of blank space on each page. The text is spare, appropriate for the age and interest level of this book. This book, part of a series, offers Jewish families a unique way to use a ritual object to teach an age appropriate concept, in this case the opposites of quiet and loud. The text at the end and on the back of the book, which is directed at adults, assumes knowledge of the use and purpose of a shofar.   ARE YOU INTERESTED IN REVIEWING BOOKS FOR THE SYDNEY TAYLOR SHMOOZE? CLICK HERE   Reviewer Judy ...

The Pirate Rabbi by David Sherrin, illustrated by Barbara DiLorenzo Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer   Buy at Bookshop.org The Pirate Rabbi is based on the life of Samuel Pallache, a real Sephardic rabbi… and pirate! Sherrin’s adaptation of his life story focuses on Rabbi Sam’s good deeds rather than any true acts of piracy. In his telling, he is not so much a “pirate” as a sailor who rescues many of his co-religionists. Rabbi Sam even convinces a real pirate, a bit unrealistically, that “there is no need to steal… when we can all share.” With its illustrations of big ships, billowing sails, and vast oceans, The Pirate Rabbi is sure to appeal to those who like a good adventure. In addition to its emphasis on helping people, its subtler message is that people can combine seemingly disparate interests and callings. The backmatter does address the darker side of pirate life, acknowledging that “most pirate...

Finding Forgiveness by Rebecca Gardyn Levington, illustrated by Diana Mayo Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco   Buy at Bookshop.org Finding Forgiveness might be called a Rosh Hashanah story, but the magic of this moving picture book in rhyme is the way it centers two key relationships – one between two sisters, and the other between the oldest sister and her own sense of self. It opens with a quick verse about Rosh Hashanah. Diana Mayo’s soft but powerful illustrations, a blend of soft pastels and brighter pops of color, set the tone and introduce us to a congregation of a diverse Jewish community. Gardyn Levington immediately zooms in on the sisters, and we realize our narrator is the older of the two young girls. There was a fight the night before and the older sister is processing how she might make things right. The narrator’s internal personal journey also includes observations about the Rosh Hashanah rituals – shofar b...

Laila Tov, Grover! by Joni Sussman, illustrated by Tom Leigh Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner), 2025 Category: Board Books Reviewer: Sarah Clarke   Buy at Bookshop.org   It’s time for bed, Grover! This sweet board book, featuring everyone’s favorite Sesame Street monster Grover, follows a nightly bedtime routine. It is the fifth book in Kar-Ben’s Shalom Sesame series. We follow our pal, Grover, as he puts on pajamas, brushes his teeth, listens to his Imma read him a bedtime story, says Shema, snuggles with his stuffed bunny and receives kisses from Imma before it’s lights out. He is off to sleep; Laila Tov, Grover! While this board book is short, only 12 pages, it truly hones in on the subject of (re)introducing little ones to a nightly routine. It uses thoughtfully crafted sentences that are direct and use ordinary language. The illustrations showcase a familiar friend, doing things that many children already do each night. There is no confusion as to what is shown in ea...

Lily's Hong Kong Honey Cake by Erica Lyons, illustrated by Bonnie Pang Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Amy Brook Cohen   Buy at Bookshop.org Lily’s Hong Kong Honey Cake is a beautiful book which follows a young Jewish girl and her family who move from Vienna to Shanghai in 1939, and then later to Hong Kong. The book is set over a decade, and Lily’s story echoes the stories of other Jewish refugees who left Europe for Asia during the Second World War. When Lily is three, she and her family leave Austria, where they run a bakery. Eating their honey cake on a ship bound for China, Lily’s mother says, “For a sweet year, my sweet one.” This refrain repeats throughout the book. For the next few years, Lily and her family run a successful bakery in downtown Shanghai: “But the honey cake still tasted like home.” War is hard, and by Lily’s eighth Rosh Hashanah, there are no ingredients available to make honey cake. Soon, Lily and h...