The BiG Story

chief concern will be: when will this
really offer anything new?
book finally end?
The answer is, no. Though texts
Here's yet another story about
focusing on a big sister's concerns
someone
who appears to be a dim-
specifically at the time of brit mila
witted ragamuffin but turns out to be
(covenant of circumcision) may not
Baby's Bris by Susan Wilkowski,
— oh, wow, whoever would have
be a dime a dozen, the theme of
with illustrations by Judith Friedman
guessed? — a thoughtful man with
the book certainly is. And this one
(Kar-Ben Copies, $6.95)
a profound message.
isn't so insightful or brilliantly written
As the story begins, a boy named
that you need to add it to your col-
Books are a great way to help chil-
Leibush and his friends look forward
lection.
dren understand complicated or
to
a visit from Shnook, the travelling
Witness this dialogue that takes
challenging or new situations; wit-
peddler, who is coming to their
after the bris:
ness the plethora of stories on being
town
of Pinsk. Here, we see poor
Grandpa said, "Benjamin Saul
adopted, coping
Season tries to
but happy Jewish homes in a shtetl,
should one day know the joy of
with parental
please everyone ;
visited
by peddlers who are jolly
passing on our traditions to a child
gt ■ ON,
divorce or death,
and in doing so
and full of stories (please, can I
YOU CAN DO A
of his own.
toilet training and,
pleases no one. It
have just one more cliche?).
Daddy cried tears Sophie knew
MITZVAHI Nc
of course, wel-
has everything in
Shnook, though, is different: he bun-
were happy ones.
coming the new
it, like some hor-
gles every sale, giving away half
"Let's celebrate Benny as we wel-
baby into a
rendous soup
his wares.
family"
come him into our
home.
made of cab-
When Shnook comes to Leibush's
Mama announced.
Sometimes the
bage (for the veg-
home, the boy cannot resist keep-
When was the last time YOU
latter (clearly, the
etarians), chunks
ing one of the peddler's beautiful
heard anybody talk like this? (And if
most popular
of beef (for meat
dreidels that has fallen under the
you did, I hope you quickly
lovers), candy (for
table. But later, amid a terrible
left the room before you
sweet-toothed chil-
storm, his conscience gets the better
11. e
became physically ill.)
dren), rice cakes
of him and he runs to the syna-
er's
(for women and men on diets),
gogue where — what a coinci-
You Can Do a Mitzvah writ-
strawberries (for fruit lovers) ...
Mlxine Ros: S: lur
dence! — he finds Shnook.
ten and illustrated by Katherine
r e
You've got the idea.
Or is it he? Leibush sees someone
Janus Kahn (Kar-Ben Copies,
built Bu ickk:‘ri Root
• .
" singing
"Family" here refers to everyone:
in
i a voice so strong and
$4.95)
Christians, Jews, Americans of Irish
beautiful" that he cannot move.
descent, African-Americans; there
Is it Jim ("Gomer Pyle") Nabors?
This little board book begins,
are recipes for Halloween, Kwan-
Andrea
Boccelli? One of the Back-
"A mitzvah is something we
zaa, Easter, Thanksgiving and St.
street Boys, maybe? Rapper Ice
do to help someone else."
Patrick's Day dishes, to name a
Cube?
Wrong. A "mitzvah" is a
few. It's politically correct, of
No, it is — Shnook! That's right,
commandment from God.
course, and maybe sounded like a
the
fellow everyone thinks is such a
So, really, what is the point
nice enough idea in the planning
bonehead turns out to be a wonder-
in saying any more about this
stages; but who needs all this stuff?
ful
singer AND a kind-hearted man.
book?
topic around) are wonderfully funny,
Fortunately, the author has made
For when Leibush tells the truth
like Kevin Henkes' Julius, Baby of
all the recipes in the book kosher
about
the dreidel, Shnook says he
The Peddler's Gift by Maxine Rose
the World, where big sister Lily is
— but why do Jewish families want
is not angry because, "We are in
Schur, with illustrations by Kimberly
initially absolutely sickened by the
instructions for decorating Easter
the Lord's house. There is too much
Bulcken Root (Dial Press, $15.99).
thought of the new little brother,
eggs or preparing Sunday roast
peace here to be angry. You were
who seems to be is taking all her
lamb?
angry
at yourself. That is what real-
According to the brief biography on
parents' attention and intruding on
Additionally, the recipes here
ly mattered."
the back flap of this book, Maxine
her private time, to boot. Then there
aren't exactly new: (brisket for
No, oh wise one, it isn't. A person
Rose Schur "has been praised for
are those of the comforting genre,
Pesach, latkes for Chanuka).
is not excused from stealing simply
depicting time and place so vividly
like Susan Wilkowski's Baby's Bris,
The idea of a cookbook with
because he is angry at himself.
that the reader becomes completely
which is designed to show older
easy-to-prepare recipes and Zal-
But then, what's the point of argu-
immersed in the lives of her charac-
siblings that they really are an
ben's illustrations is a good one. But
ing?
That would only prolong the
ters."
important part of the new child's
To Every Season is half-baked.
painful experience of reviewing this
Well, you certainly won't have
life.
What would have been wrong with
book. ri
that problem here. Instead, your
The question is, does this book
writing a book with just recipes for

her books about Beni the Bear,
you'll no doubt remember her
delightful illustrations of animals cel-
ebrating Jewish holidays.
But this new cookbook — what is
the point?
The point, of course, is to make
money for the author and the pub-
lisher. Certainly, it's not to provide
something new, useful or even par-
ticularly interesting to readers.
The main problem is that To Every

1 1/ 5
1999

76 Detroit Jewish News

Jewish holidays? Okay, it might not
have been politically correct; at
least it would have been good.