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THE CHOLENT BRIGADE

Name: THE CHOLENT BRIGADE
Author: Michael Herman
ISBN: 978-1-5124-0844-7

by Michael Herman ; illustrated by Sharon Harmer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2017

It’s touching to see a town where kindness is no surprise

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This picture book is entirely predictable, and that may be a good thing.

Monty Nudelman is the sort of neighbor everybody wants. He spends hours volunteering to shovel other people’s yards. The text is very eloquent: “He shoveled walkways, alleyways, steps and stoops.” He’s so kind that the story pretty much demands that something terrible will happen to him, and it does. His back seizes up with a “fiery pain.” And because this story isn’t even the slightest bit cynical, almost every reader will see the happy ending coming: the people at his synagogue all help to shovel his sidewalk, and they make sure he has food to eat on the Jewish Sabbath. Even more-than-a-bit-cynical readers may be moved to see a whole community working together, without needing to be asked. And the book is full of small delights, most of them involving cholent, the traditional Jewish stew Monty loves to eat. There’s a recipe at the end of the book and a colorful, illustrated scene that describes “cholent with short ribs and sweet potatoes, and even chili cholent.” Harmer’s pictures show that the Jewish community is refreshingly multiracial. There are no surprises here, but the acts of kindness don’t feel like a plot convention. They feel like a philosophy for life.

It’s touching to see a town where kindness is no surprise . (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-5124-0844-7

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Kar-Ben

Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

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THE BIG CHEESE

From the Food Group series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023

From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers.

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A winning wheel of cheddar with braggadocio to match narrates a tale of comeuppance and redemption.

From humble beginnings among kitchen curds living “quiet lives of pasteurization,” the Big Cheese longs to be the best and builds success and renown based on proven skills and dependable results: “I stuck to the things I was good at.” When newcomer Wedge moves to the village of Curds-on-Whey, the Cheese’s star status wobbles and falls. Turns out that quiet, modest Wedge is also multitalented. At the annual Cheese-cathlon, Wedge bests six-time winner Cheese in every event, from the footrace and chess to hat making and bread buttering. A disappointed Cheese throws a full-blown tantrum before arriving at a moment of truth: Self-calming, conscious breathing permits deep relief that losing—even badly—does not result in disaster. A debrief with Wedge “that wasn’t all about me” leads to further realizations: Losing builds empathy for others; obsession with winning obscures “the joy of participating.” The chastened cheddar learns to reserve bragging for lifting up friends, because anyone can be the Big Cheese. More didactic and less pun-rich than previous entries in the Food Group series, this outing nevertheless couples a cheerful refrain with pithy life lessons that hit home. Oswald’s detailed, comical illustrations continue to provide laughs, including a spot with Cheese onstage doing a “CHED” talk.

From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023

ISBN: 9780063329508

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald

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by Jory John ; illustrated by Olivier Tallec

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IZZY GIZMO AND THE INVENTION CONVENTION

From the Izzy Gizmo series

by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020

A disappointing follow-up.

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Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).

While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.

A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)