A thought-provoking and satisfying pourquoi tale plumbing an element of Jewish life many children may not have considered.
An old story of compromise helps a little girl understand the reasoning behind the slanted placement of a doorpost mezuzah.
Annie knows it’s important in Jewish homes to have a mezuzah in the doorway, with the words of the Shema prayer (the affirmation of Judaism) enclosed on special paper. When she asks why the mezuzah is hung in a leaning position rather than vertically or horizontally, her grandmother recounts the story of a village. Half the people think it right to post their mezuzah standing up, since the prayer is said when awakening, and the other half think it correct to post it lying down, to recognize its recitation at bedtime. A shouting match ensues, with one side stating “Standing up!” against the other’s “Lying down!” Double-page spreads in deep hues created by acrylic, marker and crayon depict the fray. Equally alienated groups in increasingly agitated positions and with ever-wider mouths are shown above a progressively larger font, effectively evoking the conflict. The wise rabbi introduces a compromise by suggesting a slanted or leaning position. Grandmother reinforces the importance of conciliation, extending the principle of the Shema beyond this conflict: “We stop arguing. We stop yelling at each other. We listen. We are one.
A thought-provoking and satisfying pourquoi tale plumbing an element of Jewish life many children may not have considered. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58023-506-8
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Jewish Lights
Review Posted Online: Dec. 1, 2012
Charming and joyous but not for the uninitiated.
Preparing for the Friday night Shabbat ceremony and meal is a joyous expression of faith and tradition.
Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism, beginning on Friday night at sundown and lasting until Saturday night at sundown. It is a day of prayer and rest, an abstention from all forms of work. “Shabbat Shalom, Hey” is a song that children sing in anticipation of Shabbat, and here, the song lyrics are the only text. The slight tale is told solely via the illustrations, which are viewed by turning the book vertically. Bright color blocks surrounded by white provide the backgrounds. A lion states the Sabbath greeting and is startled to hear a response of “Hey!” from a toucan peeking over the top edge of the frame. Repeating the greeting elicits the same response from a monkey and a snake, this time at the bottom edge. The lion continues his greetings with increasing levels of excitement until the other creatures join in with him, bringing the traditional accouterments of the Shabbat dinner in the form of candlesticks, a wine goblet and the traditional braided bread called challah. It is lively and entertaining, but it presumes an audience that knows the traditions. A recording of the song can be downloaded via QR code on the back of the book.
Charming and joyous but not for the uninitiated. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-4917-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This Is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten and illustrated by Delana Bettoli (2006) uses the same “This Is the House that Jack...
The structure of the traditional poem “This Is the House that Jack Built” is used as the premise for this Nativity story.
The opening pages show Joseph leading Mary and their donkey toward the town of Bethlehem, with a verse from Luke about the birth of Jesus as the text. The following pages begin the repeating pattern with the refrain, “This is the bed where Jesus slept,” followed by “the straw that lined the bed,” “the cow that shared the straw,” and so on. The key nouns are capitalized in the text, which is more annoying than helpful, as it reinforces the singsong nature of the pattern. All the phrases repeat with each new character, including Mary, the baby, a lamb, an angel, the shepherds, and the wise men. The last few recitations of all the elements are quite a mouthful, but that’s the nature of this traditional structure and part of its appeal. When the entire group is assembled, the cumulative pattern is cut off with a clunky ending that doesn’t fit with the rest of the text, and a final page includes a picture of a smiling baby Jesus and another Bible verse. The double-page spreads have a greeting-card prettiness, with static poses; the character of Mary looks somewhat unfinished. The shepherds and wise men have light-brown skin; Mary, Joseph, and the baby have light skin.
This Is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten and illustrated by Delana Bettoli (2006) uses the same “This Is the House that Jack Built” structure with a more graceful text and more polished illustrations; seek it out instead. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8249-5679-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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