Family, food, and festivities—what more could readers want?
Join Beni the bear and his family as they celebrate a full year of Jewish holidays.
On the first night of Hanukkah, Beni and his observant Jewish family share food, remembrances, and presents for all the young ones. Beni gives each cub a calendar highlighting the Jewish holidays. His plan is to introduce each holiday in turn and make up a “tiny tale” for each one, beginning with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which usually occurs in September. Beni starts the discussion of every holiday with information about its meaning and origins and the manner in which it is observed. These facts are followed by the promised tiny tale describing an amusing holiday memory and emphasizing loving, multigenerational family dynamics involving everyone from great-grandparents down to babies; often, a gentle moral is included. Mouthwatering recipes, activities, and songs round out the chapters. The clear, simple, and accessible narration is peppered with Yiddish and Hebrew expressions that add zest to the proceedings. Softly hued, detailed artwork subtly depicts the bears’ emotions and provides touches of humor as they take part in rituals and celebrations and interact at home, in the community, and in the synagogue. An illustrated holiday calendar, a family tree, and a portrait naming all the members of Beni’s family add depth to the work. Young readers and their grown-ups will find much to savor here.
Family, food, and festivities—what more could readers want? (glossary, index) (Activity book/religion. 5-10)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9780316331777
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Some readers may like this retooling a lot. / But new insights into the tale it has not.
A dog’s-eye view of Dr. Seuss’ beloved Yuletide tale.
“On the day before Christmas, / In Who-ville Town Square, / Every Who down in Who-ville / Was gathering there.” Here to give his side of the story via a third-person rhyming narrative is Max, a dog familiar to readers of the original book and/or viewers of the animated TV special based on Seuss’ book. It’s a grand idea: Who wouldn’t want a fresh perspective from Max, the Grinch’s long-suffering but loyal companion? The trouble is that aside from trying to alert little Cindy-Lou Who to the Grinch’s advances, Max doesn’t do anything to hinder the Grinch from robbing the town blind, so this version doesn’t lend any real insight to the story. For some readers, this may raise the question: Why not just stick with the original? While this version’s rhymes aren’t as inventive as the good Dr.’s, Heim does a solid job imitating his style; fans of the Grinch TV special will hear Boris Karloff plummily reciting the text, especially wry lines like “At house after house, while the clocks kept tock-ticking, / Old Max watched the Grinch and his sneaky St. Nick-ing.” Ruiz’s art is a fittingly faithful homage. His palette splits the difference between the 1957 book’s visual sobriety and the 1966 television production’s optical intensity.
Some readers may like this retooling a lot. / But new insights into the tale it has not. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9798217228072
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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