Review: Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom by Vicki L. Weber, illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org Shabbat Shalom is part of a collection of four board books for very young children, which also includes Start the Day, A New Week , and Time for Bed . This particular title welcomes the reader into Shabbat with a cover showcasing children cheerfully eating and drinking while wearing bibs that say, "Shabbat Shalom." The reader meets toddlers who participate in Shabbat rituals like lighting candles and eating challah. Basic Shabbat vocabulary is introduced, as well as the Hebrew (transliterated) words "Saba" for grandfather and "Savta" for grandmother. I was thrilled to see the toddlers blessed by their parents with the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim), a customary blessing for Friday night, which is not often portrayed in children's books. The illustrat