Among Spain’s secret Jews—conversos—were well-educated merchants and professionals who worked and lived within the medieval Catholic society yet found ways to clandestinely practice their forbidden, ancient faith. When Don Fernando, the conductor of Barcelona’s Royal Orchestra, himself a converso, plans a new concert for the nobility, he devises a way to include a piece sporting exotic instruments made by the natives from the New World. It is fall and just in time for Rosh Hashanah, so with son Rafael’s bold complicity, the shofar, or ram’s horn, is included to sound the four distinct notes that usher in the Jewish New Year. Basing her tale on legend, Greene provides a smooth, suspenseful view into a rarely depicted portion of Jewish history, when Jews led a dual life and managed to maintain their Judaic rituals by blending in or hiding their beliefs and traditions, sometimes in plain sight. Chayka’s deep, opaque paintings reflect an upper-class, dark-haired Iberian society juxtaposed with the Judaic rituals of the Rosh Hashanah meal. (introductory, author’s notes) (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8225-9915-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Young Angelo’s attempts to join his grandfather’s commedia dell’arte troupe serve as a delightful introduction to this Italian Renaissance form of clowning. Angelo’s grandfather, Zan Polo, has become a grumpy old man, and his troupe’s lagging popularity doesn’t make him very receptive to his grandson’s pesterings to join the show. Finally he agrees that Angelo can have a bit part offstage, as a rooster. Angelo has higher aspirations; through bartering and cajoling he’s able to piece together a rag-tag rooster costume. When the performance begins, the rooster steals the show, poking his head out between the curtains, and tricking the tricksters. The audience falls in love with the little red rooster, and Zan Polo realizes his grandson provides the energy the aging troupe needs. Daly (Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky, 1995, etc.) skillfully commandeers both story and illustrations. From the reflective pastel light of Venice, to the expressive gestures of the performers, his talented brushwork will make readers appreciate not only the troupe, but also their creator. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-374-30953-1
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1998
This republication of a 1966 text with new illustrations explains the Jewish Sabbath. Giving context to today's Shabbat customs, Cone (Come Back, Salmon, 1992, etc.) recalls the story of Moses leading the Jews out of slavery and receiving the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy,” refers to keeping a day of rest. She describes the traditional customs of lighting candles, studying the Torah, and enjoying a festive family meal as ways of marking the day. Two stories that illustrate the feeling of the Sabbath, instructions for crafts, and a recipe for Challah, the traditional braided bread, complete the text. Lisker’s (When the Beginning Began, 1999, etc.) acrylic-on-canvas, stylized illustrations are boldly colored and work best when depicting ancient times. Many of the modern families look strained and detached. People are frequently shown looking out of the corners of their eyes, which gives them a strange appearance. One black family is shown at their Shabbat table. They may be Ethiopian or American Black Jews, but the reader is given no hint of their background in the text. Since there are no other illustrations in which a dark-skinned person appears, the reader is left to ponder why the illustrator chose to be inclusive here. None of the illustrations depict modern Jewish boys and men who do not cover their heads with skullcaps or the ultra orthodox who wear black and do not shave their beards or cut their forelocks. A lyrical, sensitive text is not served well by its new illustrations. (Nonfiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 30, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-027944-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
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