Kindness is rewarded and a holiday is celebrated in this endearing, satisfying story.
Miracles occur on Passover, both in the Haggadah and in a poor, Depression-era Jewish American neighborhood.
For Muriel, a young girl living in 1933 Washington, D.C., there can be no Passover seder. Her family is too poor. Stopping at the Lincoln Memorial, she watches a juggler whose shabby appearance suddenly seems to burst into color. She gives him all she has—one penny—and he tells her to hurry home to a seder. She rushes home only to find her parents standing in front of an empty table. But the stranger is now at the door, and he magically transforms that bare table to one overflowing with holiday foods and ceremonial plates and cups. The rabbi is summoned and declares it a “true miracle” to be enjoyed by the whole neighborhood. At the conclusion of the festive meal, the cup left for the Prophet Elijah is empty. In her afterword, the author writes that a favorite childhood story was Uri Shulevitz’s The Magician (1973), which set a Yiddish tale by Isaac Loeb Peretz in a shtetl. This reimagined American setting during the Great Depression and its message of community and faith will resonate with readers. Rubin’s line-and-color art beautifully conveys a Washington, D.C., spring with cherry blossoms blooming, crowded streets that also evoke a long-ago, slightly off-kilter European town, and a gloriously bright holiday evening. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 34.8% of actual size.)
Kindness is rewarded and a holiday is celebrated in this endearing, satisfying story. (illustrator's note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4562-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
Heartening examples of paternal love.
Following up Girl Dad (2022), Williams and Davis present an affectionate tribute to the bond between fathers and sons.
As Williams describes how “boy dads” love and support their sons, images show Black fathers and sons fishing, watching movies, flying kites, playing football, and more. Davis’ illustrations are full of color and movement. The rhyming text has a cadence that matches the upbeat visuals and will appeal to emerging readers. While some moments hew closely to traditional ideas of masculinity and chivalry (the verse “It’s no easy task teaching a boy just how to be a man. / But boy dads raise fine gentlemen the very best they can” accompanies an image of a boy holding out a chair for a female-presenting child), the book also challenges stereotypes. In one scene, a boy and his father, clad in aprons, whip up a tasty concoction in the kitchen. In another, a father comforts his son, who’s teary-eyed after spilling a dish of mac and cheese: “Boy dad knows to be brave and strong / means sometimes you have to cry.” The love between fathers and sons shines through on each page; many men and boys of color will especially appreciate seeing their experiences reflected here. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Heartening examples of paternal love. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9780063113640
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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