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THE MITZVAH FAIRY

Name: THE MITZVAH FAIRY
Author: Danielle Joseph
ISBN: 9798765626993

by Danielle Joseph ; illustrated by Christine Battuz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2025

A tale gently infused with kindness and compassion.

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With a crown, wings, and a star wand, a young Jewish boy transforms into the Mitzvah Fairy.

After breakfast, the boy loads supplies into his wagon and leaves with his father and small gray dog to do good deeds for relatives and neighbors in need of cheering up. His bubbe (grandmother in Yiddish) has a case of the sniffles; she proclaims his chicken soup “delicious!” Mr. Gordon’s leg is in a cast, so the boy waters the plants and fills the bird feeder. The thoughtful child notices trash in the park and asks his dad, “Don’t we need to treat the earth with kindness too?” When his dad agrees, the two pick up the garbage and recycle what they can. The boy spots lost coins and asks if he can add them to the blue tzedakah box (a charity box, adorned with Hebrew letters). He also moves a ladybug to a safer spot where it can’t be harmed by pedestrians. Though many readers will appreciate this quiet, matter-of-fact tale of a young everyday hero doing his best, it’ll have special resonance for those familiar with Judaism. Featuring characters with oversize heads and textured backgrounds with cozy details, Battuz’s art sets a warm tone. Characters are light-skinned. The book concludes with a matching game and a list of Hebrew phrases for the Jewish values incorporated into the story.

A tale gently infused with kindness and compassion. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025

ISBN: 9798765626993

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Kar-Ben

Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

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HELLO THERE, SUNSHINE

by Tabitha Brown ; illustrated by Olivia Duchess ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.

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Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.

Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 11, 2025

ISBN: 9780063342262

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 21, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)