A fine if not deathless choice for Shabbat reading
A Jewish family celebrates the Sabbath.
Sophie and Seth Fine and their parents, a Jewish family of European descent, enjoy an autumn picnic, hold hands for the motzi blessing, eat challah bread, and explore a barn together on a pleasant autumn Saturday. The story is told in verse that’s too often forced: “The entire Fine family adores Saturdays. / For them, Shabbat’s special in so many ways.” Mai-Wyss’ delicate and muted illustrations, that look to be pencil and watercolor, work well for a quiet fall day, however, giving the endeavor a lift. The pleasure the family takes in its outing and in one another is clear and sweet. Simultaneously publishing is the similarly themed Shh…Shh…Shabbat, by Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrated by Evgenia Golubeva. Here, animals notice the sounds of the suburbs and the city on various days of the week leading up to Shabbat. Alliteration abounds as the Turtle listens to trucks on Tuesday, Worm hears whistles and whirring wheels on Wednesday, and so on to the peace of Shabbat. On the final double-page spread, five members of an olive-skinned human family sit down to a traditional Shabbat dinner. Unfortunately, the verse is a bit clunky in places, the half-page spreads of brightly colored cartoons don’t mesh together well, and the scene with the human family seems tacked on.
A fine if not deathless choice for Shabbat reading . (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4677-5873-4
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Save young readers and would-be counters the frustration and don’t open these ineffective holiday packages.
Cuddlebear and his mama count his blessings in a candy-coated world.
This anthropomorphic bear counts from one to 10 the things (friends, family, food, home, etc.) he is thankful for in the lightly Thanksgiving-themed scenes. There are one or two flaps per page of various sizes that open to reveal a variety of images behind doors, windows, cupboards, rocks and more. An additional flap on the page has a numeral on the outside and provides an invitation on the interior to count various objects of said quantity on the page. Many of these objects are so small that they are impossible to locate and are blurry in the too-detailed, overbusy art. The sister book, Countdown to Christmas (978-1-4027-9983-9), reverses the process and takes readers from 10 to one as Little Reindeer eagerly counts off the days to Christmas. Again, the flaps on each page reveal elves and various critters getting ready for the big day at Santa’s workshop. Numbers are written on flaps shaped like Christmas-tree ornaments, and below these flaps readers are encouraged to pinpoint various items. Again, many of these objects (particularly paint cans and snowballs) are difficult to find. Both the art and the text drip sentimentality.
Save young readers and would-be counters the frustration and don’t open these ineffective holiday packages. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4027-9982-2
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
Among the featured creatures are a robot, a superhero and a witch in the interior and a mummy on the cover. The characters...
With die-cut holes for eyes and handles, readers can hold this board book, in its open state, up to their faces to create a variety of costumed personas.
Among the featured creatures are a robot, a superhero and a witch in the interior and a mummy on the cover. The characters are given a couple of lines of dialogue to announce their identities and make their signature sounds or statements: “I’m a proud pirate! / Ahoy there!” Each face has one rather delicate pop-up facial feature or accessory, such as the witch’s protruding nose and the superhero’s mask, which will likely not withstand extensive, rambunctious play. Ho’s cheery, smiling cartoons in bold colors imbue the title with a lively energy. While the cover does portray a spooky spider and an orange-and-black color scheme, this title could easily stretch beyond the Halloween season.Pub Date: June 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-49331-4
Page Count: 8
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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