This child-friendly introduction to tashlich will be welcome in Jewish homes and classrooms and will open up secular...
Jackie and Jesse and Joni and Jae come together with other children and adults to participate in the tashlich ritual during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
As they walk through a forest to a river, the children carry bread that they will tear up and throw into that moving body of water to represent any wrongdoings committed last year. Perhaps some of the children are not Jewish, as “Jackie asked Jesse and Joni asked Jae, / ‘Is this bread for the ducks / or a game that we’ll play?’ ” Before Jesse or Jae can answer, Rabbi Miriam explains: “On Rosh Hashanah, we all need to say / ‘I’m sorry’ to those whom we’ve / hurt in some way.” The children each remember moments when they hurt their friends, incidents that range from teasing to betraying a secret. All have apologized, but their acts still weigh on their minds. After their personal reflections, they throw their breadcrumbs into the water to take part in the symbolic communal action of asking for forgiveness. Their actions and their vows are concrete and will easily be understood by readers. The simple rhyming text adequately covers the concepts of tashlich and forgiveness for young children. The illustrations, seemingly digital, have a childlike, naïve quality. Most characters present as white, although Jae and his family appear Asian. A brief author’s note explains the custom for readers not familiar with it.
This child-friendly introduction to tashlich will be welcome in Jewish homes and classrooms and will open up secular discussions of forgiveness. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68115-550-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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