by Ellen Press ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 18, 2012
A book that works better as a primer on the Jewish holidays than as a keepsake.
Two energetic dogs romp through food-filled Jewish holidays.
Press’ debut children’s book gives young readers a tour of the Jewish holy days. Ollie and Taavi, the author's own dogs, lead the way. The puppies, dressed gamely in their yarmulkes, appear in family photos as they encounter the gifts, treats and rituals of the holidays, including hamantaschen with sweet jelly for Purim and colorful dreidels and menorahs for Hanukkah. Homebound snapshots illustrate the clever premise of the book. Using dogs as tour guides should keep small children engaged long enough to learn about the major and minor Jewish holidays and their tactile traditions, like Sukkot enclosures and Passover afikomen. Puppies saying “sorry” to each other on Yom Kippur? It’s here. Press is at her descriptive best in explaining Shabbat, evoking the anticipation and joy of the Sabbath: “So gather round the table, / with friends and family near, / and sing three blessings / we hold so very dear.” Sights, sounds and, most of all, delicious tastes cavort in the poems even more energetically than Ollie and Taavi—a child’s grape juice for Shabbat, honeyed apples for Rosh Hashana and crackling latkes for Hanukkah—though the spotty verse distracts from them and rarely has the cadence to sustain or cement the ideas they embody. Rhymes, though clearly sought, often fail to materialize. When they appear, they strain. The book celebrates Simchat Torah with the lines: “Today he helps me make a flag, / that will wave not lag.” Its Passover text says: “We walked and walked for years to come / and then found Palestine, the day had come.” These stumbles detract from the heartfelt feelings, obvious throughout, toward the traditions and the physical tokens of the holidays.
A book that works better as a primer on the Jewish holidays than as a keepsake.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1466287211
Page Count: 28
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
by Ellen Press & illustrated by Ellen Press & developed by Customizabooks
by Jo Hoestlandt & translated by Mark Polizzotti & illustrated by Johanna Kang ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 8, 1995
The thoughtless words of childhood become the focus of the narrator's haunted memories of WW II. Helen recalls the events of her ninth birthday in occupied France in 1942. Lydia, her best friend, comes over to spend the night, and they amuse themselves by telling ghost stories. When a stranger wearing a yellow star like Lydia's comes looking for a place to hide, Lydia suddenly wants to go home. Helen is angry and shouts to the departing girl that she is not her friend anymore. The next day Lydia and her family have disappeared. The simple storyline brings together a complex combination of elements—ghost stories and fights between friends who suddenly find themselves in the context of war—all of which are penetrated by an equally complex narratorial voice, capable of differentiating among subtle shades of emotion. It belongs both to the old woman telling the story and to the nine-year-old girl she was. As a result of this layering of perspective, the characters and story have depth through minimal means (sketchy details, snatches of conversation). This is even more effective in the wondrous pictures. In her first book, Kang's palette contains only browns, grays, yellows, and redsmuted colors, forming the geometric interiors of barren apartments. If the individual colors and shapes in the pictures are simple, as a whole they create an intensely expressive atmosphere. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: May 8, 1995
ISBN: 0-8027-8373-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1995
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BOOK REVIEW
by Jo Hoestlandt & illustrated by Aurélie Abolivier & translated by Y. Maudet
by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow ; illustrated by Ebony Glenn ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 3, 2018
With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked...
From a debut author-and-illustrator team comes a glimpse into a young American Muslim girl’s family and community as she walks around in “Mommy’s khimar,” or headscarf.
The star of this sunny picture book is a young girl who finds joy in wearing her mother’s khimar, imagining it transforms her into a queen, a star, a mama bird, a superhero. At the core of the story is the love between the girl and her mother. The family appears to be African-American, with brown skin and textured hair. The girl’s braids and twists “form a bumpy crown” under the khimar, which smells of coconut oil and cocoa butter. Adults in her life delight in her appearance in the bright yellow khimar, including her Arabic teacher at the mosque, who calls it a “hijab,” and her grandmother, who visits after Sunday service and calls out “Sweet Jesus!” as she scoops her granddaughter into her arms. Her grandmother is, apparently, a Christian, but “We are a family and we love each other just the same.” The illustrations feature soft pastel colors with dynamic lines and gently patterned backgrounds that complement the story’s joyful tone. The words are often lyrical, and the story artfully includes many cultural details that will delight readers who share the cheerful protagonist’s culture and enlighten readers who don’t.
With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked cultural group . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0059-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow ; illustrated by Hatem Aly
BOOK REVIEW
by Aisha Saeed , Huda Al-Marashi , Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & S.K. Ali
BOOK REVIEW
by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow ; illustrated by Patrick Dougher ; photographed by Jamel Shabazz
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