The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

The Blue Glass Heart by Yona Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Chiara Fedele Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby Buy at Bookshop.org The Blue Glass Heart is a quintessential circular journey picture book. It recounts the travels of a heart-shaped shard of blue glass across oceans—from New York to Florida to Venezuela to Tel Aviv and back to New York once again—and across generations, from Sarah who mistakenly broke her grandmother’s vase to her great granddaughter Ruth who receives the shard as a token of friendship and says to her mother, “Maybe this is a piece of Great-Grandma Sarah’s bowl.” The story and illustrations are sweet and simple, likely to appeal to a young child who will enjoy hearing about the unlikely spots in which the shard appears in between its time in the sea—atop a sandcastle, hiding in a basket of clams, in fish stew, a pocket, and a lobster’s claw—and tickled that the blue glass makes i

Debbie's Song: The Debbie Friedman Story by Ellen Leventhal, illustrated by Natalia Grebtsova Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Belinda Brock Buy at Bookshop.org When the readers are introduced to little Debbie Friedman, we learn that she always had music inside of her—in fact, it was her superpower. We follow along on her sometimes challenging journey as she expresses that superpower with her family, at Jewish summer camps, on a kibbutz in Israel, in synagogues, Carnegie Hall, and ultimately, the world at large. Debbie accomplished what she set out to do: create community while writing "Jewish music that would welcome, include, and honor the voices of everyone." The author and illustrator have accomplished their goal of creating a book that celebrates Debbie Friedman and honors her legacy. Their passion for their subject shines through and makes this book sing. The lovely lyrical text, the pacing, the flow, th

Planning Perfect by Haley Neil Bloomsbury YA (imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing), 2023 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org Felicia is a sixteen year old biromantic ace spectrum Jewish girl from Boston with anxiety and perfectionist tendencies. She wants things to be by the book and believes that she is the responsible adult of her family. She thinks that her free-spirited nontraditional mother is irresponsible. Felicia takes control of planning her mother's (first) wedding at a Vermont apple orchard. What could go wrong? Mother/daughter drama. Grandmother/mother drama. Drama with her gay Pakistani best friend, and with her Korean-American friend (potential girlfriend?) in Vermont. Could Felicia be overthinking, over-planning, controlling and steamrolling? Will there be a happy ending? Of course! Like Jane Austen's Emma Woodhouse, Felicia is "faultless in spite of all her faults" and her personal growth makes her much more likeable. . The gr

Oh, How I Wish by Sara Blau, illustrated by Yehudit Binder Hachai, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Many children can’t wait to do what they are passionate about. For some, it could be singing, others drawing, and a few are passionate about baking. In this lovely and easy-to-follow picture book, children find ways to elevate their everyday actions and hobbies into Mitzvot (good deeds).    This idea is a well-known Jewish concept that goes hand in hand with Tikkun Olam.This concept is layered on every page of this book. How can a child as an individual make a difference in this world and still be true to their passion? A child can draw for their own will and entertainment but when they draw to make a get-well card for someone who is sick, their action of drawing and what they create takes on a spiritual layer. The language is lyrical and clear, intended for a very young audience. There is a simple repetition as the reader is introduced to different examples of c

Moses and the Runaway Lamb by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Eleanor Rees Howell Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman Buy at Bookshop.org In this version of the midrashic tale found in Shemot Rabbah 2:2, Moses is developing the characteristics that lead G-d to select him to later lead the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt. Refreshingly represented as a dark-skinned young man, Moses goes in search of one little lamb that has wandered off. Not giving up until he has reunited the lamb with its mother, Moses realizes that even though he has many other lambs, each one is valuable. Observing this event, G-d chooses Moses to later lead His people because of his compassion and commitment to every living creature. Flowing artwork with a light palette brings the reader into the desert atmosphere of wide open spaces and wilderness, adding to the appeal of the story.  The Jewish content is prevalent throughout with the f

The Boy Who Followed His Father Into Auschwitz: A True Story Retold for Young Readers by Jeremy Dronfield Quill Tree Books (imprint of HarperCollins), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Ronda Einbinder Buy at Bookshop.org In 1938 Hitler decides to invade Austria, disrupting the lives of the Kleinmann family. Jeremy Dronfield details the story of two brothers who lived to tell their very different experiences. Kurt, who was ten years old when he was sent to America, was a personal friend of Dronfield and shared his father Gustav’s diary on which this book is based. Brother Fritz is taken away with Gustav to begin years of suffering and survival together. Fritz is given an opportunity to be freed but chooses to go to the most brutal camp of them all, Auschwitz, with his father. Kurt's life is quite different. He is loved by the family who has taken him in, attending camp each summer and celebrating his Bar Mitzvah. Sister Edith is sent to England and is able to keep in touch with

Lion's Legacy by L.C. Rosen Union Square & Co., 2023 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Tennessee Russo is a young adventurer, sharing Indiana Jones style quests with his archaeologist father and filming their expeditions for a reality show. When he realizes that his dad's methods are not entirely ethical, the pair argue and Ten goes to live with his mom. Two years later, dad returns and convinces Ten to join him in a quest for the legendary (fictional) Rings of the (real) Sacred Band of Thebes, an ancient Greek army made up of pairs of male lovers. Proudly gay Ten is eager to reclaim queer history and share it with the world. Dad, Ten, and translator/love interest Leo face danger and magic in their search for the Rings, and mend family hurts along the way. L.C. Rosen states in an opening author's note that his purpose is to challenge the erasure of queer history that happens so often. He successfully achieves that goal, with a highly e