Affirming for children in Jewish families and useful for non-Jewish families that want to casually instill respect for...
A close-knit Jewish family’s preparations for Shabbat are set to a hip-hop beat in this attractive board book.
Each lively four-line verse is sung by a smiling boy sporting a backwards baseball cap. His gray-haired Bubbe, wearing a sunny yellow apron, dances along waving a spoon. Of course, once seated at the Shabbat table, the young protagonist’s head is respectfully covered by a white kippah. His rhymes trip off the tongue with ease. The first and last verses bookend the story, ending, respectively, “She’s got the beat” and “I’ve got the beat.” The digitally enhanced illustrations rendered in pen and ink with watercolor show a rather idealized world. Bubbe’s tree-shaded white clapboard house is tidy and welcoming. As the fifth stanza says, “Cousins by the dozens, / Knockin’ on the door. / Bubbe’s got it covered, / Always room for more.” Readers unfamiliar with Jewish traditions of Shabbat may not understand the details of the story, and words such as challah, kiddush, kugel, and even bubbe are not defined (though young goyim are likely to recognize her as a grandma regardless). Still, the spirit of family togetherness is indisputable.
Affirming for children in Jewish families and useful for non-Jewish families that want to casually instill respect for another religious culture. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5124-4763-7
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
An unabashedly idealized but nevertheless wholehearted hymn to grandmotherhood (Picture book. 2-4)
The arrival of a new grandchild is joyously celebrated in this grandmotherly ode to their new life together.
Tenderhearted affection is displayed through the softly hued watercolors of furry, cuddly rabbits and is combined with gushing verse recited by one delighted grandmother bunny to her sweet and innocent grandbaby. “The moment I saw you, / I fell in love, / Honey, my bunny, / my sweet turtledove. // Wiggling and giggling, / you captured my heart. / I loved you so much, dear, / right from the start.” Love at first sight deepens as the pages turn, becoming that special relationship of mutual devotion unique to a grandmother and grandchild. While this displays no shortage of greeting-card syrup in its sentiment, its gentleness will make for nice initial read-aloud sessions for the intended audience and an appropriately thoughtful gift from any new grandma to grandchild (as blank lines for inscription, a “special letter” to the grandchild and a picture of grandmother and grandchild attest).
An unabashedly idealized but nevertheless wholehearted hymn to grandmotherhood (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58536-836-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Adult readers wishing to familiarize children with some of the Christian Bible stories will find greater satisfaction...
Nine stories taken from both the Old Testament and the New Testament are introduced to the youngest readers in this board book.
A child-friendly cover depicts Noah and his ark in bright, cartoony artwork and sets the tone for the greatly simplified stories presented inside. Creation is told in three lines that feel more like an introduction to the concept of God than a Bible story. Brown-haired, olive-skinned Adam and Eve stand behind a bush surrounded by incongruous flora and fauna that include an elephant, a monkey, what looks like an Easter bunny, a palm tree, an apple tree, and daisies. Other Old Testament stories included are Noah’s Ark, Moses, and David and Goliath. These tales have been simplified to the point of near meaninglessness. The life of Jesus is told from his birth, moving on to his message of love and the multiplication of the loaves and fish, and ending with his resurrection and ascension. Children old enough to be told these stories are also capable of understanding more than this book presents. If they cannot, one wonders if perhaps they are too young for the stories.
Adult readers wishing to familiarize children with some of the Christian Bible stories will find greater satisfaction looking elsewhere. (Board book/religion. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-58925-222-6
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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