A good basic introduction for the youngest attendees.
Kayla welcomes young readers into her home for a typical Passover Seder while contending with the antics of her frisky puppy, Kugel.
Kayla is busy getting ready for the dinner and briefly points out some of the key aspects of the holiday, while Kugel’s eagerness to participate has him almost spilling the grape juice, making a mess with the matzah, and stealing the afikomen as soon as Kayla finds it hidden under an easy chair. After the four questions are asked, the story told, and the special foods eaten, a somber-looking Kugel makes sure to remind Kayla that the Seder is not complete without the best part, the concluding songs. As in the introductory Kayla and Kugel (2015), which highlighted Shabbat, it is the family pet that provides both comic relief and a way to keep the central theme on track. Sweet, endearing, colorful illustrations bring out the humor in the actions of the puppy, who is clearly loved as an equal member of his young family. A simple glossary and author’s note with suggestions for simple discussion and some downloadable activities are included.
A good basic introduction for the youngest attendees. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 7, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68115-508-1
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
Children who visit their grandparents in senior housing may find this especially welcome.
An old recipe written in Yiddish inspires a visit to the local Jewish senior residence to translate its directions for making challah.
Sammy and Sophie’s dress-up playtime in the attic uncovers, in the pocket of an apron, a crumpled piece of paper with strange lettering. Interested in finding out about this “language from long, long ago,” the children bring it to their Grandma Gert, who lives at Shalom House and successfully explains that it belonged to her own Grandma Bess. It is indeed a family recipe that could easily be made today; the children, Grandma Gert and her fellow residents bake the challah in the communal kitchen. Cartoon illustrations created in pencil, pen and ink and finished with computer-aided design reveal the scheduled group-residence life of a great-grandparent crowd (exercise day includes bending, stretching and kvetching). A simple though cumbersome rhyming text narrates the tale, including the traditional weekly ritual of baking the bread with all the seniors in the galley. The intergenerational setting presents a not-often-seen view of family involvement.
Children who visit their grandparents in senior housing may find this especially welcome. (recipe) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7613-7499-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
Even given the paucity of books on Sukkot, this is one to skip.
The Jewish fall harvest festival celebrated in a temporary hut known as a sukkah is the focus of this slight story about sharing.
Having carefully selected several gourds to hang from the sukkah roof as decorations, Sara and Avi are dismayed when the hard-shelled vegetables begin to fall, split open and are ravaged by the squirrels in their yard. Sara’s anger inspires a dream she has that night in which the offending squirrel emerges to apologize and promises to bring new gourds the following year. Once awake, Sara imagines squirrels shopping for gourds at the local market and acknowledges their hunger with a pile of nuts carefully placed on the sukkah table. As the holiday ends, Sara makes sure the squirrels are well-fed throughout the year. When Sukkot rolls around again, Sara begins to clean up the patch of grass for the sukkah and is surprised to find a number of gourds growing there, sprouted from the seeds left by the squirrels the previous year. This contrivance—gourd vines are hard to miss, and does this family never mow?—fatally weakens the conclusion, with its implicit lesson of sharing. A more creative and endearing version of this theme can be found in Jamie Korngold’s Sadie’s Sukkah Breakfast (2011). Acrylic and graphite sketches in earthy tones add mild amusement to Sara’s infuriating dilemma, though they do nothing to mitigate the implausibility of Sara's discovery.
Even given the paucity of books on Sukkot, this is one to skip. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7613-7503-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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