111111111111111 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Books For Kids ...I FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND BEYOND Wishing everyone a happy & healthy Rosh Hashanah Buy one dinner entrée at regular price, get the second for 112 OFF Equal or lesser value. Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. only. Not valid with any other offer. Must present ad when ordering dinner. Southfield location only, 29244 Northwestern Highway (248) 351-2925 1111111111M1111111 11111 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 'T N 1410' R S LE FihvAlfS AT 9/29 2000 152 INTERNATIONAL 'NEWS PLUS 372 Oullette Avenue • Windsor, Canada sun, the moon and the stars; cut out the burning bush; create a picture of Pharaoh plagued by frogs made from thumbprints dipped in green food color, and so on. The directions are clear, the materi- als needed for the crafts are basic and the ideas for the projects are interest- ing and go beyond the ordinary. Thinking of the child (or parent!) whose drawing skills may be limited, patterns of figures and objects specified in the crafts are provided to copy or trace. This is an excellent idea that will short-circuit frustration in doing the projects. In addition to the stories and crafts, there are musical instruments and costumes, again using readily available items, for children to make to dress up as biblical charac- ters. And what child doesn't love to dress up? This is an excellent book that, in 80 pages, manages to combine learn- ing with crafts and projects that are creative and unique without being overly complex or confusing. Highly recommended! The 24th edition of My Very Own Jewish Calendar (Kar-Ben Copies; $7.95) by Judyth Gfoner and Madeline Wilder is perfect for Rosh Hashanah and the beginning of the school year. Hang it on the wall in your child's bedroom, and you can follow together the Jewish and secu- lar holidays, Torah portions of the week, candle-lighting times, Hebrew dates, plus informa- tion and activities. All this, and space to write in the child's own activities. What may have been no more than a footnote has become a charming story in Come, Let Us Be Joyfill (UAHC Press; $12.95) by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Rosalind Charney Kaye. Mixing history and folklore, Manushkin writes of how a wordless melody, brought by European immigrants to pre- state Israel, became the popular Hebrew song, "Hava Nagila," or, in English, "Come, let us be joyful." According to this story, A.Z. Idelsohn, a collector and teacher of Jewish songs, heard the melody and taught it to his music class. One of his young students, Moshe Nathanson, declared, "Teacher, this tune sounds lonely. I think it wants words." And so he wrote the joyous words. Soon the song was being sung throughout the land, sprouting up everywhere, like sunflowers in the newly planted Negev. In fact it is not definitively known whether Nathanson or Idelsohn wrote the words, since both later claimed they did and each has his supporters. Manushkin's engaging story gives the credit to young Nathanson, fitting, of course, for a child's book. Historical fiction can be a compelling way to spark inter- Involvement in the High Holy Days and Jewish activities throughout the year can be encouraged through books that teach as well as entertain. GILA WERTHEIMER Chicago Jewish Star • A t the High Holidays, many find themselves, as at no other time of year, thinking about their Jewish lives. If you are parents of young children, you may be considering enrolling your child in a Jewish school. You may be paying more attention to adopting Jewish traditions, considering whether your children should attend synagogue services with you this year, deciding how to celebrate and observe the holidays as a family. If your children are pre-teens or teens, you are surely pondering ways to keep them involved in Jewish life. The one-word key, no matter what their age, is participation. Experiential Judaism is the approach that crosses all denominational lines. Kids have to be part of Jewish holiday preparations, tradi- tions and observances. Since this gets harder and harder as they. get older, start young. If they are already teens, you may have to drag them into the holidays, but drag away. Jewish involvement can be encouraged through Jewish books, which can teach about all aspects of Jewish life as they entertain. Here is a brief look at selected new publications for children. New this year, for early elementary age children is My Jewish Holiday Fun Book (UAHC Press; $6.95) by Ann D. Koffsky. This is a coloring and activity book that, in spite of some slightly confusing directions, is a good way to involve a young child in the holidays. For Rosh Hashanah, for example, children can cut out and color two New Year's cards. For Sukkot there are deco- rations to make and a sukkah to color. For Shabbat, they can make a placemat. There are also puzzles, games and mazes — all activities that young children enjoy. An adult or older sibling will be needed to read the directions and help with the activities. Similar in concept but with a focus on stories from the Bible rather than on the holidays is Bible Story Crafts For Little Hands (Kar-Ben Copies; $17.95) by Ruth Esrig Brinn, illustrated by Sally Springer. Here are 30 brief Bible stories, each with a picture to color and a craft activity. Children can make Noah's Ark from a paper plate and con- struction paper; construct Jacob's Dream Mobile, showing the