The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Such a Library! A Yiddish Folktale Reimagined by Jill Ross Nadler, illustraed by Esther van den Berg  Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer Just as it says in its subtitle, Such a Library! is a reimagining of the old Yiddish folktale about a man whose house is too crowded. His rabbi’s solution? Make the house even more crowded. Then, when all the additional visitors leave, the house seems spacious by comparison. Here, the librarian takes the place of the rabbi. A little boy, Stevie, complains that just the noise of the computer keys and the voice of the storyteller are too loud. When he uses metaphors (“it’s like a zoo in here!” ;“it’s like a circus in here!”), the punnily named librarian Miss Understood takes him literally, opens an apparently magic book, and releases the denizens of a zoo, a circus and so forth. When they are finally returned to the pages of their book, the boy appreciates the relative silence. This is a charming story and the fact that th

Clarence's Topsy Turvy Shabbat by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod, illustrated by Jennie Poh Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer Clarence’s Topsy Turvy Shabbat by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod is a sweet story of preparing for Shabbat that is sure to appeal to preschoolers. Clarence seems to not know what he is doing, but in the end it turns out he had a plan all along. It’s best not to think too hard about why he needed a bunny to help him get Shabbat supplies, but children will be too entertained to care about any plot holes. Clarence and his friends, including a goofy, not-too-scary monster, welcome Shabbat happily yet peacefully, a mood enhanced by the muted palette. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze? Click here! Reviewer Rachel J. Fremmer is a lawyer-turned-elementary-school librarian. A native New Yorker, she lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters. In addition to reading, she loves to bake and to do crossword