The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Remembering Rosalind Franklin: Rosalind Franklin and the Discovery of the Double Helix Structure of DNA by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Gretchen Ellen Powers Christy Ottaviano Books (imprint of Little Brown), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jacqueline Jules Buy at Bookshop.org Remembering Rosalind Franklin begins with an author’s note warning that this story does not have a happy ending. The preface goes on to explain that sometimes people can do extraordinary things and “never even find out they made a difference.” With this preparation, the reader is ready to understand that those who do the groundwork for important scientific achievements deserve to be remembered, too.  Rosalind Franklin was born in 1920 into a large Jewish family living in London, England. She enjoyed beach holidays at her grandparents’ country home where she first saw a darkroom and learned how photographs were developed. Though she lived in a time when most girls were not encouraged to pursue academics

On Friday Afternoon: A Shabbat Celebration by Michal Babay, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt Charlesbridge, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ann Koffsky Buy at Bookshop.org With On Friday Afternoon , author Michal Babay and illustrator Menachem Halbertstadt have given us an upbeat and cheerful portrait of a family getting ready for Shabbat—specifically, Friday night dinner. The main characters are a young girl, Leelee, and her dog Pickles. They giggle and race through the house making messes, cleaning up those messes (because Shabbat is coming) and then making still more chaos. Each encounter leads fluidly into the next: when they discover change under the couch, that leads to making a tzedkah box; finding a trombone while cleaning the bedroom leads them to marching in a musical parade. The structure reminded me of the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series-- in the best of ways. Halbertstadt’s illustrations are exuberant and joyful. Leelee’s slightly rumpled hair gives off oodl

Listen, Sh'ma by Rabbi Alyson Solomon, illustrated by Bryony Clarkson Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Belinda Brock Buy at Bookshop.org Author Alyson Solomon and illustrator Bryony Clarkson, the same team who created Thank You: Modeh Ani , are back with the equally lovely picture book Listen: Sh'ma . The cover with its sweet sleepyheads tucked into beds against a starry sky (continued on the end papers) lets us know that this is a bedtime story. A note in the front tells us that sh'ma means "listen" in Hebrew and the book is inspired by the Jewish prayer about oneness and love, traditionally said before going to sleep (as well as in the morning and on other occasions). The book breaks down the word sh'ma into its individual soothing sounds and relates them to a young child's comforting bedtime routine: a warm bath, fresh jammies, cuddles, and many more moments of calm and contentment. The various

Like the Sea and the Sky: A Mysterious Mollusk and Its Magical Blue Ink by Jordan Namerow, illustrated by Michelle Simpson Brandylane Publishers, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Doreen Klein Robinson Buy at Bookshop.org We first meet Zinni while under the warmth and comfort of her mom’s tallit, with its dangling fringes that remind her of the arms of jellyfish. While her mom, a rabbi, offers a morning prayer of thanks, Zinni daydreams about the her favorite sea creatures – the mollusks that hide inside beautiful shells. When Zinni misses the school bus, we learn that she mixes up letters and numbers and is afraid to ask for help. Zinni’s mom shares that sometimes being a rabbi feels scary, too. This makes Zinni feel better, until she gets teased at recess for drawing sea creatures in her notebook. On the bus ride home, Zinni wishes she could be one of the sea creatures that squirts colorful clouds of ink to scare away its predators. At home, Zinni’s mom tells her about an ancien

I Am a Tree: A Playful Action Rhyme by Hindy Feldman, illustrated by Patti Argoff Hachai Publishing, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Hachai This simple board book shows an Orthodox Jewish girl and her two younger brothers, enjoying the great outdoors and enacting a fun rhyming game that represents the life cycle of a tree. On each spread, we see the natural growth from seed to tree alongside the children's movements. For instance, "I am a seed, so tiny and small" shows a variety of seeds on the left side, and the children crouched down pretending to be tiny seeds on the right. The illustrations are bright, cheerful, and outdoorsy. The children are depicted in casual Orthodox dress (with the youngest in footie pajamas), and credit is given to Hashem for helping the trees grow. This action rhyme will work well with young children and be welcome at Tu B'shvat or any time of year. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor

Shabbos Guess Who? A Lift-the-Flap Book by Ariella Stern, illustrated by Patti Argoff Hachai Publishing, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili   Buy from Hachai Shabbos Guess Who? is the latest installment in Hachai Publishing's lift-the flap series. Through twelve rhyming riddles, the story centers around a presumably Ashkenazi Orthodox family, beginning with preparations before the onset of Shabbat, including cleaning the house and getting dressed up. It then proceeds throughout Friday night and Saturday, ending with a melaveh malkah after Havdalah at the conclusion of Shabbat. Where there are two pronunciations for a given answer, both are included, i.e. zmiros / zmirot, seudas(t) shlishis(t). The detailed cartoon illustrations are bright and colorful in keeping with the lively and joyous atmosphere of the book. Even though this is a book geared towards the youngest of readers, it contains an impressive amount of information. Little hands wil

The Pebble: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Marius Marcinkevičius, illustrated by Inga Dagilė Thames & Hudson, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Greer   Buy at Bookshop.org Eitan is a young boy living in a ghetto in Lithuania. Although they cannot leave the ghetto, everyone tries to make the best of what they have. People still gather to laugh, bake food, and hold events at a theater, including a violin performance by Eitan. While they try to go on with their lives, the threat of the Nazi soldiers in their town looms over them. Eitan’s father was taken “to work” and never returned. Illustrations chiefly use blacks, browns, and military green over white and gray backgrounds, producing a dreary and somber mood. The main exception is yellow, reflecting the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear, and which all the Jewish characters have on their chests. Light blues surround Eitan's best friend Rivka, with whom he can still be a kid, before they are ripped apart when he

What Rosa Brought by Jacob Sager Weinstein, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler Katherine Tegen Books (imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeanette Brod Buy at Bookshop.org What Rosa Brought shares a message of universal relevance: you carry love with you wherever you go. This Holocaust story speaks across generations about choices and responses to persecution, fear and an uncertain future. It is a gentle picture book told from a child’s point of view about the misfortunes of one Jewish family as they face the hatred that accompanies the Nazi rise to power and the frustrations of the search for visas and escape. The setting is Vienna, Austria, at the time of the Anschluss. Young Rosa asks the naive questions that juxtapose the fate of her cat with the fate of her family. The wisdom of her grandmother exists in loving counterpoint. Rosa’s parents struggle with diminishing options during Nazi boycotts of Jewish stores, food shortages, long lines at the

Doña Gracia Saved Worlds by Bonni Goldberg, illustrated by Alida Massari Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Sydney Taylor Shmooze Editors   Buy at Bookshop.org Doña Gracia Nasi, born Beatriz de Luna, was a 16th century crypto Jew from Portugal, famous for working valiantly to save many of her co-religionists. Her history is complicated and many facts are in dispute. To simplify the story for a picture book audience, the author sometimes chooses one historical opinion over another or glosses over details. It is difficult to compress Dona Gracia's adventurous life into this format and difficult to determine the accuracy of this brief portrayal. However, the book succeeds in conveying the general outlines of Dona Gracia's life and the impressiveness of her accomplishments. The illustrations are sumptuous, with their rich colors and intricate patterns. Dona Gracia is an important historical figure and an inspiring woman,

The Inside Name by Randi Sonenshine, illustrated by Gina Capaldi Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Stacy Nockowitz Buy at Bookshop.org The target audience for Randi Sonenshine’s lovely new book The Inside Name is young middle graders, but this 44-page hardcover reads more like a sophisticated picture book. The first-person narrative tells the story of a young boy in 15th century Lisbon named Felipe Alonso. At least, that is his outside name. He and his family are conversos, Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition. The family practices Judaism in secret, so their Jewish names, their inside names, are never spoken outside of their home. On his way to and from an errand for his mother, Felipe is called horrible names by the city’s knife grinder and is chased by boys intent on terrorizing him. Sonenshine shows what can become of Jews in Portugal at this time as Felipe recalls his friendship with Solomo

Bring Back the Babka! by Marilyn Wolpin, illustrated by Madison Safer Barefoot Books, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Greer Buy at Bookshop.org Sammy and Sol go on a mission to help their mother find her missing “just-baked babka” for Shabbat. As they search the neighborhood with their dog Mazel, they meet kindly neighbors who offer samples of their own homemade food. The boys get offered leftovers to take home and they invite everyone to their house for dinner. Told with repetition that makes it easy for kids to follow along and know what's coming next, the boys explain what they’re looking for and how it’s their favorite kind of babka, “cinnamon” with “golden-brown crust and sugar-sweet filling.” Simple artwork brings a rustic, homey feeling to the book, inviting readers in with scenes of cooking and walking around a neighborhood. At the end is a recipe for “Mama’s Missing Babka” with detailed step-by-step directions. Additionally, there is a pronunciation guide an

Latke's First Hanukkah written and illustrated by Alan Silberberg Viking Books for Young Readers (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby Buy at Bookshop.org While Latke’s First Hanukkah is Alan Silberberg’s first board book, it is not his first book for young children that combines food with fun. Through animated latkes and other holiday food characters and objects—including jelly donuts, chocolate gelt, spinning dreidels, and wrapped gifts, he includes highlights of the holiday: lighting the menorah for eight nights, welcoming friends, celebrating light, and even the applesauce versus sour cream latke topping debate. Simple counting, bright colors, and cheerful illustrations make for an inviting introduction to the Festival of Lights for little ones. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze?  Click here! Reviewer Elizabeth Suneby is an award-winning children's book author whose Jewish-themed titles

A Walk in the Woods by Chani Altein, illustrated by Miri Rooney and Marc Lumer Hachai Publishing, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Marcia M. Rosenthal Buy at Hachai A Walk in the Woods is the latest picture book of the Benny and Tzvi Adventures. This time, the characters are joined by Benny’s bubby as they take a walk in the woods. The woods provide an ideal setting for Bubby to explain an important Jewish concept: every creation can teach us something and thereby inspire us to do a mitzvah. She says, “Because every creation that’s under the sun/Has something important to teach everyone.” This lesson is repeated each time the boys make a discovery: a school of fish; a forest of trees; a deer; and a stream. Each of these is an example of a creation and therefore presents an opportunity to do a mitzvah or a good deed. But how can the boys know where the mitzvah is within each discovery? With Bubbie’s guidance, Benny and Tzvi figure it out together. What is particularly impressive

  This Is My Shabbat by Chris Barash, illustrated by Aviel Basil Green Bean Books, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Vernick Buy at Bookshop.org This warmhearted picture book follows a boy and his family on a Saturday as they celebrate Shabbat together–synagogue services, a picnic with extended family, and an impromptu meetup with neighbors. The boy, who happens to be blind, experiences the Sabbath using his other senses, especially hearing. (The text never says that the child is blind, but the outdoor scenes show him using a white cane and wearing sunglasses.) The story ends with the family drifting off to sleep in anticipation of Havdalah, making it a great choice for bedtime reading. The repeated refrain, "This is my Shabbat" adds a lullaby-like quality to the tale. The story is written in both printed text and Braille. The illustrations' bright color palette and detailed panoramas will absorb readers and amplify the joyful atmosphere surrounding Shabb

A Beautiful World by Yael Gover, illustrated by Paul Kor, translated by Gilah Kahn-Hoffman Green Bean Books (first published in Israel in 2003 by Kinneret, Zmora-Bitan), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer Buy at Bookshop.org With upbeat text perfectly complemented by a cheerful palette and childlike illustrations, A Beautiful World takes us through the creation story. A nameless narrator - apparently Hashem - begins with a black page and adds light and color, water and land, plants and animals, and so on, until the world is almost complete. What is missing? Why, you, the reader! Just as Hashem invites us to be partners in creation, the narrator invites the reader to be a partner in enjoying the world - and reading this book! The final page has a mirror on it so the child reader can see herself. Young children love seeing themselves in the mirror, so that would certainly add to the fun! I had to read A Beautiful World more than once to realize that it does not co

Mrs. Maccabee's Miracle by Elka Weber, illustrated by Amélie Videlo Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org Welcome to the Maccabee house. Five brothers are always misplacing their things, and look to their mom to locate the objects. Mom gently reminds them that items remain where they are left. This repeating theme will strike a familiar chord with both parents and children. As the story progresses, the situation in Modi’in worsens for the Jews when the Greek ruler, Antiochus, demands that Jewish life and practice cease. The Maccabee boys, like many other Jews, continue to study Torah and practice Judaism in secret. When the great battle between the Jews and Greeks ensues, Mama Maccabee’s lessons about locating lost items is an integral part of the Hanukkah miracle. It’s wonderful to see a woman of importance play a part in a story that’s usually male centered. Illustrations by Videlo help mak

An Extraordinary Dreidel: A Hanukkah Story from Israel by Devorah Omer, illustrated by Aviel Basil, translated by Shira Atik Green Bean Books, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org The Extraordinary Dreidel is a fun and engaging picture book about Hanukkah for young readers.  Devorah Omer is one of the legends in the Israeli kidlit book world. I grew up reading many of her exquisite stories, and The Extraordinary Dreidel is no different. What seems to be, at first glance, straightforward language and plot turns out to be a story that provides a level of sophistication that gets children’s attention from the start and engages their curiosity and independent thinking while igniting their imagination. When Uncle Haim makes a soccer ball-sized wooden dreidel for Gil and Nurit, the excitement level rises, but when they find out that there is a secret compartment under the letter nun, the children are beyond themselves. The reader follows along and t

The Mexican Dreidel by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Ilan Stavans, illustrated by Maria Mola Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman Buy at Bookshop.org Celebrate Janucá (Hanukkah) in Mexico with Danielito as he visits his grandmother for the holiday. When he adds his dreidel to the neighborhood game of spinning tops, friendships grow, bridging the cultural divide between Danielito and the children who are celebrating Christmas. His dreidel rallies all the tops and leads them on a wild race allowing the reader to see daily life in the village. With Spanish words and phrases sprinkled naturally throughout and needing no translation, young readers will feel as if they are walking in the town. After Danielito invites his new friends to his grandmother's home to celebrate with menorah lighting, latkes, and donuts, plans are made to play again the next day. It's refreshing to see the children being naturally curio

Come and Join Us! 18 Holidays Celebrated All Year Long by Liz Kleinrock, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat Harper (imprint of Harper Collins Publishers), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Lila Spitz Buy at Bookshop.org   Come and Join Us by ant-bias and ant-racist educator Liz Kleinrock invites readers to listen and learn from a diverse group of students about eighteen holidays celebrated throughout the year. Each holiday is introduced by a student whose family participates in its traditions. Important clothes, foods, and activities integral to the holiday are described and their importance is explained. The book concludes with the message that celebrating holidays with loved ones is the best part of all. Vibrant digital illustrations appropriately complement the themes of celebration. Word color alternates between black and white to provide contrast with the colorful background. The glossary provides helpful and accurate definitions of terms related to specific holidays for referen

Where Do Diggers Celebrate Hanukkah? by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrated by Christian Slade Random House Books for Young Readers, 2023 Category: Pictures Books Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org The rhyming verses of this board book are fun to read aloud. There is no plot, and the title question is not answered, but that does not matter when you see cherry pickers in a line holding up lighted candles to form a menorah. Christian Slade's illustrations of heavy equipment in different locations are cheerful and colorful, very appropriate for preschoolers. This book is suitable for young children up to age 6, especially those who like trucks. There is Hanukkah content on every page, so it is integral to the story. The Diggers are a series of board books featuring friendly construction vehicles that--in other books--sleep at night, go on vacation, say I love you, and celebrate Christmas and Easter. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze?  Click