A joyful and charming Passover tale with kid appeal.
In this picture book, a young detective solves the mystery of the missing afikomen at his seder.
On Passover, Sherlock Mendelson, a bespectacled White boy, explains how family and friends gather around the table, say prayers, eat traditional foods, and practice Jewish customs at a seder, “a feast where families learn how Jewish people were slaves in ancient Egypt, but escaped from a wicked king called Pharaoh.” Sherlock’s favorite part is the search for the afikomen, a “piece of matzoh that Grandpa Solomon would wrap in a special cloth” and “hide…for the children to find” for a prize. But when the cloth is found with “nothing inside it,” the searchers realize that “SOMEONE HAD STOLEN THE AFIKOMEN!” Sherlock hunts for the thief with his trusty hound assistant, Watson. The boy follows “a suspicious trail of matzoh crumbs,” compiles clues, dusts for fingerprints, and interrogates the seder attendees. After recounting the events of the evening, Sherlock shockingly discovers the culprit is “my trusted friend and ace assistant…WATSON!” Everyone applauds Sherlock’s sleuthing, and Grandpa doles out candy. Through the eyes of an enthusiastic protagonist, Klein’s story introduces readers to Passover in an approachable, thoughtful manner. Readers will enjoy Sherlock’s amusing antics and playful investigative work. The detective elements, which offer a nod to Sherlock Holmes, are skillfully incorporated, and the entertaining resolution will delight readers. Using saturated, warm tones, Taylor’s lively illustrations include engaging details, as when Watson lurks in the background.
A joyful and charming Passover tale with kid appeal.Pub Date: June 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68433-981-5
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit.
Eleven-year-old Maria Russo helps her charlatan mother hoodwink customers, but Maria has a spirited secret.
Maria’s mother, the psychic Madame Destine, cons widows out of their valuables with the assistance of their apartment building’s super, Mr. Fox. Madame Destine home-schools Maria, and because Destine is afraid of unwanted attention, she forbids Maria from talking to others. Maria is allowed to go to the library, where new librarian Ms. Madigan takes an interest in Maria that may cause her trouble. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Maria’s new upstairs neighbor, would like to be friends. All this interaction makes it hard for Maria to keep her secret: that she is visited by Edward, a spirit who tells her the actual secrets of Madame Destine’s clients via spirit writing. When Edward urges Maria to help Mrs. Fisher, Madame Destine’s most recent mark, Maria must overcome her shyness and her fear of her mother—helping Mrs. Fisher may be the key to the mysterious past Maria uncovers and a brighter future. Alas, picture-book–creator Ford’s middle-grade debut is a muddled, melodramatic mystery with something of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel: In addition to the premise, there’s a tragically dead father, a mysterious family tree, and the Beat poets. Sluggish pacing; stilted, unrealistic dialogue; cartoonishly stock characters; and unattractive, flat illustrations make this one to miss. Maria and Sebastian are both depicted with brown skin, hers lighter than his; the other principals appear to be white.
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit. (author’s note) (Paranormal mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20567-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area.
A pair of cardinals is separated and then reunited when their tree home is moved to New York City to serve as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The male cardinal, Red, and his female partner, Lulu, enjoy their home in a huge evergreen tree located in the front yard of a small house in a pleasant neighborhood. When the tree is cut down and hauled away on a truck, Lulu is still inside the tree. Red follows the truck into the city but loses sight of it and gets lost. The birds are reunited when Red finds the tree transformed with colored lights and serving as the Christmas tree in a complex of city buildings. When the tree is removed after Christmas, the birds find a new home in a nearby park. Each following Christmas, the pair visit the new tree erected in the same location. Attractive illustrations effectively handle some difficult challenges of dimension and perspective and create a glowing, magical atmosphere for the snowy Christmas trees. The original owners of the tree are a multiracial family with two children; the father is African-American and the mother is white. The family is in the background in the early pages, reappearing again skating on the rink at Rockefeller Center with their tree in the background.
A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7733-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
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