arts & entertainment
A High Holiday Tale
New book teaches children lessons about finding forgiveness and starting anew.
I
Penny Schwartz
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Boston (JTA)
F
ourteen years ago, sitting in her
synagogue during Saturday morn-
ing services, Jacqueline Jules was
browsing some Torah commentary when
a story about a medieval poet struck an
inspirational chord.
"It was an `aha moment. This will be
my next writing project, my next children's
book:' recalled Jules, an award-winning
children's writer who at the time was also
working as a school librarian.
The historical note that captured her
imagination was a reference to Samuel
HaNagid, a Jewish talmudic scholar who,
in the early 11th century, served as vizier,
the highest adviser, to the Muslim royal
court in Granada, Spain.
According to the legend, HaNagid is
said to have made friends with a man
who cursed him "by tearing out his angry
tongue and giving him a kind one
Kid Lit
pt1/4
Apple Days: A Rosh Hashanah Story
Allison Sarnoff Soffer, illustrated by Bob
McMahon
Kar-Ben ($17.95 hardcover; $7.95
paper; $6.95 eBook); ages 2-7
Katy, an eager, bubbly young girl, is
counting down the days until she goes
apple picking with her mother — a year-
ly family tradition at Rosh Hashanah.
They will peel, chop and cook the apples
with cinnamon and sugar to make apple-
sauce for her favorite holiday.
This year, Katy is especially excited,
she tells her classmates, because she is
also expecting a new baby cousin. She
also spreads the word to other friends, as
well as her neighbors, shopkeepers and
rabbi.
But when the new baby arrives early
September 4 • 2014
ill.gretcd
Other new titles for the High Holidays.
i) Le Day:
ROSH HasHahaN $toKy
62
"I was smitten by
It is among several
the story," said Jules,
new children's books
adding that she saw
available for the High
the tale as a powerful
Holidays season.
metaphor for turning a
The themes in the
violent act into an act
Jules book of forgive-
of kindness.
ness and starting anew
Over the next dozen
resonate with those
years, Jules discovered
emphasized during
that turning the tale
Rosh Hashanah, the
into a story for chil-
two-day Jewish New
A Tale from
dren was challenging.
Year that begins this
Medieval
The author of What
year at sundown on
Spain
a Way to Start a New
Sept. 24, and Yom
Durty1 Yee' Bernhard'
Year!, about Rosh
Kippur, the Day of
Hashanah, and The
Atonement, which
Never Say a Mean Word has
Hardest Word: A Yom
starts at sundown on
garnered a starred review from
Kippur Story told JTA
Oct. 3.
that she wrote as many Publishers Weekly.
Never Say a Mean
as 20 versions of the
Word is a simple yet
tale.
lyrically told story that has garnered a
In Never Say a Mean Word: A Tale from
starred review from Publishers Weekly.
Medieval Spain (Wisdom Tales, $16.95,
In the opening pages of the book, set in
ages 4-8), illustrated by Durga Yael
medieval Spain, the young Samuel, an
Bernhard, Jules has reimagined the tale
innocent, head-in-the-clouds fellow who
into one about two young boys.
is the son of the vizier, has one accidental
encounter after another with Hamza, the
tax collector's quick-witted son. Hamza
refuses to accept Samuel's apologies and
taunts him with cruel names like "Donkey
Brain" and "Stupid:'
Samuel's father refuses to punish
Hamza. Instead, he gives his son a broad
directive: "Make sure Hamza never says a
mean word to you again."
As Samuel tries to exact a stern lesson
on Hamza, the story takes a surprising
turn and misunderstandings give way to
an emerging friendship.
Bernhard's simple, yet expressive,
illustrations evoke the colors, landscape,
architecture and patterns of the era. One
full-page illustration depicts Samuel's
imagined scheme of a monkey perched on
a stone wall while clamping Hamza's lips.
The book explores tough questions,
Jules says, such as what constitutes fair
punishment and how do you get someone
to stop calling you names.
"I hope the book gives young readers and
the adults in their lives much to think about
and discuss," she wrote in an email.
❑
1
Hebrew, through the long
I Live With My
I LlVE NVII'll MY
religious service. She
Mommy
(... 410iniU
wants to have her prayers
Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein,
count, but she worries
illustrations by Dena
that she does not know
Ackerman
how to read Hebrew.
Menucha Publishers
At the blowing of the
($12.99); ages 4-9
shofar, Shira becomes
This sensitive
inspired to do something,
story is told from the
surprising the rabbi and
perspective of Rochel,
the congregation with
a 5-year-old girl from
her own heartfelt prayer.
a haredi Orthodox
Shira at the Temple: A Yom Kippur
Taylor's cartoon-like
family whose parents
Story
illustrations are colorful
are divorced. She and
Galia Sabbag, illustrated by Erin Taylor and animated.
her younger brother
CreateSpace
This is one of a series
live with their mother; their father lives
Independent
of Shira books written
in a different house. The story traces
Publishing ($9.99
by Sabbag, who was born
the challenges facing Rochel as her
lira at
9MpIR -
paper; $5.99
and raised in Israel but
family celebrates Shabbat and holidays,
a
Yarn
Kippu
r Story
Kindle); ages 4-9
now lives in Atlanta,
including Sukkot.
Shira is a spirited
where she's been a teacher
Rochel is a believable, authentic
young girl who
at a Jewish day school.
character whose emotions, including
wants to participate
The Shira character,
sadness and anxiety, are universal. She is
in Yom Kippur, a
Sabbag writes on her
reassured by her mother's message that
day she learns is the
website, is a composite
the divorce is not her fault and that God,
holiest of the Jewish
of many of her students
referred to as Hashem, loves all children.
year. But Shira is
over the years and reflects
Klein deserves high marks for writing
not content to sit
her desire to convey the
honestly and authentically about a
back and observe
joy children experience
subject not often dealt with in children's
the grown-ups as
in Jewish ritual and
books for Orthodox families.
they pray, mostly in
spirituality.
- Penny Schwartz, JTA
and Katy's mom has to leave town, the
girl's disappointment is palpable. With
the help of her dad and a surprise from
her friends, teachers and rabbi, Katy
rises to the challenge.
Soffer's first children's book is an
entertaining read that will delight young
children who will share Katy's enthusi-
asm. McMahon's colorful, cartoon-like
illustrations radiate high spirit and
energy.
S
-
T
❑