MORE THAN ENOUGH

People in Moses’ urban neighborhood have varying levels of economic need.

Moses’ mom gives money to Barefoot Benny, who’s unhoused, even though it’ll mean buying Moses secondhand sneakers again, and she prods Moses to donate, too. Though Moses protests (“Mom, we have little enough”), Mom says, “Little enough is more than enough for us.” With his parents’ guidance, however, Moses learns the importance of giving as he sees formerly impoverished people find work and help others. Benny becomes a barber and gives bedraggled Big Jim a free haircut. Later, Moses and Big Jim, now a janitor, watch baby PJ for free when Ms. Brown goes to a job interview. Moses invites a friend to a Jewish New Year celebration, assists at a soup kitchen at Christmastime, and persuades Pops to hire his friend’s unemployed father at his new store. Moses’ attitudes evolve as he learns to give freely without expecting thanks; backmatter emphasizes that in Judaism, charity is a "sacred and ethical obligation," and it explains the Jewish philosopher Maimonides’ concept of the golden ladder of giving, which classifies acts of charity, from the first rung (when donations are given reluctantly) to the last, creating a job for someone so that they, too, can help others. Michelson makes a potentially complex topic accessible, while Cepeda’s bright paintings, each with brilliant backdrops, bring to life a bustling city. Most characters are brown-skinned; Moses and his family are cued Jewish.

A child-friendly exploration of charity.