SUKKAH-DOODLE-DOO!

A family invites friends to a Sukkot party in this rhyming picture book.

The Mindel family—parents Janet and Adam, children Shelley and Jimmy, and Ruffles the dog—plans a celebration of Sukkot. To commemorate the Jewish holiday, Jimmy and Shelley set out to gather twigs for the partial roof of a temporary shelter that their parents are building. (A sukkah shelter’s roof shows the sky.) After baking and other efforts by the family, the day of the party finally arrives and the guests appear. But when four frogs also show up, Jimmy has to hatch a plan to keep the party going. Following songs, fun, and cheer, Jimmy loses his first tooth to put a cap on the event. Blumberg’s amusing story takes on a lot with a short, rhyming text: a celebration, a nature crisis, and a mission to keep a tooth safe after it falls out (and get a prize from the tooth fairy). These elements almost feel like too much for one tale, but they are also very true to life, when many incidents can intersect at once. While Lyon’s cartoon images depict a pale-skinned Jewish family with a variety of hair colors, the guests show some diversity in hues. The happy tenor of the party shines through in the well-lit art. Alternative lyrics to familiar public domain songs add to the festive feel, and endnotes provide a rhyming context for readers unfamiliar with the holiday.

A humorous, engaging tale of a chaotic and entertaining event.