The story’s dialogue-driven, child-oriented approach makes a nifty starting point for this “origin tale” of a much-loved...
A young boy contributes to shtetl life by thinking up new ways to do ordinary things and, in the process, helps a baker perfect his “top secret boiled buns.”
Many of Ziggy’s ideas have good intentions but aren’t always practical, like the “shulstilts” he creates for the very short rabbi. Pleased, the rabbi anticipates being taller than the bar mitzvah students and being able to read the Torah with ease—until he falls forward and off the homemade stilts, losing his black hat. Undeterred, Ziggy goes home to think up some new ideas and in the night, dreams up his biggest one yet. He has thought of a way to help the baker bake his special buns so the center isn’t always undercooked. Ziggy shows the baker how to create a dough circle instead of a bun to drop into the boiling water before baking. Perfectly puffed and beautifully browned, the new creation is akin to a bracelet and renamed a bagel for the German term. (A concluding note delves into the derivation of the word “bagel.”) Illustrations are detailed and charming, utilizing digital collage to limn scenes of a brick-walled bakery in an Eastern European village (though the French-looking mustachio on Moishe, the baker, seems a tad out of place).
The story’s dialogue-driven, child-oriented approach makes a nifty starting point for this “origin tale” of a much-loved breakfast food. (recipe) (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7613-9053-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
The Shabbat Queen, a Talmudic metaphor for the importance of a welcoming, regal atmosphere for family and guests each week, inspires a little girl and her parents to set their table with a few special items.
Rosie wonders whether, since a Shabbat Queen exists, there can also be a Shabbat Princess? Neither her mother nor her father has ever heard of one, but they invite Rosie to be their princess for the evening. Rosie dresses up for the occasion, while her parents add crystal candlesticks and the just-polished silver goblet to the customary best dishes. Rosie’s addition of a golden sequined scarf for a challah cover completes a Shabbat table fit for royalty. Pink- and lavender-shaded scenes of a modern home setting (often flanked by a side border of flowered vines) alternate with Rosie’s imagined majestic view. A panorama of rolling meadows beyond a castle filled with lords, ladies and court jesters surrounds a tall, bejeweled Shabbat Queen wearing a flowing rose-pink gown and golden crown. Following the three blessings and the banquetlike meal, Rosie wonders aloud about the appropriateness of creating such extravagance and is assured by her parents: “When an honored guest visits our house, she deserves extra-special treatment.” Meltzer’s child-oriented tale presents a lovely way to honor the Sabbath with a bit of respectful festivity. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-5142-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
This Shabbat-themed celebration of family love prevailing over a 24-hour period sans electricity smoothly communicates the...
A surprise snow storm and subsequent power outage make this Shabbat even more special for a little boy visiting his Nana and Papa in their Georgia home.
Shabbat candles already lit, the evening meal of challah and blintzes is topped off with cherry snow cones and Papa’s stories of his childhood. And when the power is still out hours later, morning sunshine brings a new day of gratitude and play in the snow before a Shabbat afternoon nap. Darkness once again descends, leading to the traditional havdalah (end of Shabbat rituals) as the power returns, closing out a day of rest and reflection for all. Acrylic strokes create detailed scenes of a Southern climate capped with a chilly snowy dusting, extending the warmth of the story. And despite the visual portrayal of grandparents who seem more Old World than contemporary American in their stereotypically elderly appearance—Nana comfortably chunky with a triple chin and cropped white hair and Papa rail thin with white hair and mustache—it's an overall convincing image of events and attitudes.
This Shabbat-themed celebration of family love prevailing over a 24-hour period sans electricity smoothly communicates the importance of the weekly observance. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7613-7564-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
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