The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Big Dreams, Small Fish written and illustrated by Paula Cohen Levine Querido, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Sarah Aronson Buy at Bookshop.org In Paula Cohen’s Big Dreams, Small Fish , Shirley and her family have big dreams for their new family store. The problem is: all the adults think Shirley is too young to work. They think she should spend her time playing. But Shirley is full of big ideas, and when her family leaves her and Mrs. Gottlieb to mind the store, she includes a free sample of gefilte fish with every purchase. Her parents are upset until the next morning, when members of their ethnically inclusive neighborhood line up to buy more of the new neighborhood delicacy. I loved this picture book. Shirley is plucky and resourceful. She doesn’t accept that she is too young to work at the family store. When she seizes the moment and gets to work in the store, I turned pages to see how she would sell that fish! This girl doesn’t just have big dreams. She has great ideas! (A

My Hands Make the World written and illustrated by Amalia Hoffman PJ Publishing, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Dena Bach There are many, many books that depict the creation story that begins the Torah, the first chapter of Bereshit, the Book of Genesis. Yet the approach of this board book is a novel one. Board books often use simple drawings to explain simple concepts, yet this book aims to do more. The deceptively simple narrative and artwork here tell more than just the story of Genesis, they tell about creation and about creating, reaching children at their level, in a child-friendly and inspiring way. As Hoffman explains in the endnotes, everyone, including children, are created “B’tzelem Elokim” in the divine image. Therefore everyone, including children, are participants in the act of creation. The medium of colorful finger painting, a common way that a young child begins to delve into art and storytelling, is an excellent choice. On every page a child’s handprint is an

My First Book of Famous Jews by Julie Merberg, illustrated by Julie Wilson  Downtown Bookworks, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ronna Mandel Buy at Bookshop.org “Can we talk?” If little ones don’t recognize this signature question from the late comedian Joan Rivers, perhaps parents or grandparents reading the book to them will. Rivers is just one of the more than three dozen famous Jews presented in this board book that I wish I’d written! Told in rhyme, My First Book of Famous Jews is a fabulous introduction to the talented individuals who have made lasting and significant contributions to science, literature, music, film, politics and the judiciary—even activism, an important inclusion. It’s never too soon to start sharing the broad impact Jewish people have made in every field. This book sings the praises of everyone from Anne Frank to Helen Frankenthaler, from Steven Spielberg to Gloria Steinem in their respective categories. The vibrant art throughout this book brings memb

A Tribute by Miriam Udel A sister of my soul is no more. So many of us are devastated at the inconceivably sudden passing of Paula Cohen Martin , the artist who became my partner in creating HONEY ON THE PAGE: A TREASURY OF YIDDISH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE , and who was on the cusp of releasing her own delightful first picture book, BIG DREAMS, SMALL FISH (Levine Querido). As befits an old-timey Yiddish project, our union was arranged by matchmakers human and divine. Paula attended the TENT workshop at the Yiddish Book Center for authors and illustrators of Jewish children's books, where I was teaching. Program alumna Joanne Levy (author of SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS and herself no stranger to grieving) knew I was completing a crazy-ambitious anthology for which I was seeking an illustrator. Knowing Paula had a huge love for and curiosity about Yiddish culture, she connected us. I adored Paula's work and sensed immediately that its comic energy would infuse the book with the lively

Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe Levine Querido, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Leah Cypess Buy at Bookshop.org Aviva lives with her mother in the apartment above the town’s mikvah (ritual bath). Aviva’s mother never leaves the apartment, and Aviva herself leaves only to go to school, where she has no friends but is at least good at sports. At home, she does her best to care for her mother, who has sunken deeply into depression since her father died. On top of all that, she has to deal with an exasperating dybbuk – a sometimes friendly, sometimes vengeful spirit who delights in wreaking havoc upon Aviva’s careful, quiet life. When rivalries at school begin to spiral out of control, and vandalism of the synagogue fills the Jewish community with fear, Aviva may be the only one who can make things right. But first she will have to face some hard truths about her present, her past, and what the dybbuk really wants. Aviva vs. the Dybbuk is a gem of a middle grade book. The fully fl

The Association of Jewish Libraries & StoryTime Solidarity Present:  How to be an Ally to Jewish Patrons and Students (Even in a Non-Jewish Neighborhood) ~~~~~ Sunday, March 20, 2022 1:00PM PT / 4:00PM ET Two of your Shmooze admins, Heidi Rabinowitz and Susan Kusel, will be participating in a special workshop, and you are invited. As someone who cares about Jewish children's literature, please come and please invite your friends! Description: The FBI reports that 60% of all religious hate crimes target Jewish people despite the fact that only 2% of America’s population identifies as Jewish. As librarians and educators, how can we push back against this injustice? Join Storytime Solidarity and the Association of Jewish Libraries for a free workshop on standing in solidarity with the Jewish community. Get answers to the questions you didn’t know you wanted to ask, learn about Jewish diversity, and find out what actions you can take and what books you can buy to help the Jewi

In the Market of Zakrobat by Ori Elon, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt Green Bean Books, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ruth Horowitz Buy at Bookshop.org The plot of In the Market of Zakrobat will likely be familiar to many Jewish readers. It’s based on a the much-told story of Yosef Moker Shabbos, which itself is based on a tale from the Talmud. The author’s name might also be familiar. Ori Elon co-created the popular Israeli TV show/Netflix series Shtisel , and he brings the same winning combination of deep Jewish rootedness and up-to-date storytelling sensibility to this delightful picture book.    Stingy Baltosar lives alone, hoarding his chests of gold coins. His impoverished neighbor Yosef so cherishes Shabbat that he spends his few pennies purchasing the finest foods to welcome the Sabbath. When Baltosar dreams that his coins are running away to Yosef’s hut, he trades them all for a single diamond, which he sews into the lining of his hat. The hat falls