Books of Jewish Interest
Passover starts in early April this year. For those who may want to spend some time in quiet contmplation, we have a number of recently published books that fit the bill. For those who are more the hands-on need to do something type, there are several cook books that children and adults can use together when preparing holiday meals.
Reviews
Adolf Hitler
Liz Gogerly
How could a failed painter go from sleeping on the streets to leading a nation into war, madness and the horrifying Final Solution? This readable new biography, part of the "Twentieth-Century History Makers" series, is a well-researched look at how Hitler survived an abusive childhood and dreamed of becoming a great artist despite the fact that his talent was middling. His eventual bottoming-out on the streets of Vienna put him touch with a lot of other bankrupt, demoralized Germans, the author points out, and gave him something to offer: the Jews as scapegoats. Gogerly offers no new insights ‹ what hasn't already been said? ‹ but provides a lot of information for young readers struggling to understand why Hitler got as far as he did. "Can we ever understand such a man?" she asks in her introduction, and then answers her own question. "As long as we keep trying, then there is always hope that history will not repeat itself, and that never again will the world be torn apart by the dreams and blind hatred of a single person." 2003 (orig. 2002) Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers/Harcourt, Ages 11 up, $32.85. Reviewer: Donna Freedman
ISBN: 0-7398-5256-6
At the Synagogue
Dia Michels
Photographs by Michael Bowles
The fifth book in the playful "Look What I See" series, might be a lovely holiday gift for the whole family. Through the book's intriguing guessing-game format, local author Dia Michels takes youngsters inside a synagogue to learn about a Jewish wedding, Friday night services and holidays such as Rosh Hashana and Simchat Torah. Full-color photographs by Michael Bowles register both details and emotions as the author's three children participate in the ceremonies. A glossary entitled "About Jewish Life" makes this an especially noteworthy book for parents and educators hoping to acquaint youngsters with different cultures and religions. 2003, Platypus, Ages 1 to 4, $16.95. Reviewer: Mary Quatttlebaum
ISBN: 1-930775-16-4
Daniel in the Lions' Den
Jean Marzollo
Many people may not actually know details of the Bible story about Daniel, although the expression "Daniel in the lions' den" is a well-known one. Here's an opportunity to learn about one of our ancient heroes in a most delightful way. Author Marzollo likely has a hit here with her first written-and-also-illustrated book and its Greek chorus of ants, who wend their merry way along the bottom inch of the jacket as well as the cover and each page of the book, inserting their comments as they march. "Who's that?" they ask beneath the picture of an angel. "That's the angel." "What did the angel do?" "You'll find out-but not right away. First, meet Daniel." What a clever way to engage youngsters' attention while also keeping them focused on the story! There's even a song to sing to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as the lions, restrained by God through his angel and his prophet Daniel, fall asleep instead of tearing him to bits. Bright primary colored pictures painted first in watercolor and then scanned into the computer to be finished in Adobe Photoshop are the perfect accompaniment to the imaginative text, and you'll hardly even realize that there's a moral to this story. 2003, Little, Brown, Ages 3 to 8, $15.95. Reviewer: Judy Chernak
ISBN: 0-316-74132-9
Family Festivals
Jean Coppendale
Illustrations by Piers Harper
This book is part of a series, "A World of Festivals." Holy days, coming of age ceremonies, weddings, and mothers' days are some of the festivals presented by a short paragraph, photograph, and with approximate dates. Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim family festivals are described among others. One wonders about the criteria for the choice of festivals when 10 pages out of 25 are devoted to Jewish festivals and Christmas is not mentioned. The large print, colorful photographs of interesting ceremonies, and colored pages are child friendly. The book details and illustrates two craft ideas: a menorah and a Mother's Day card. Although supposedly an American version of an international series, the book shows the British word "Mum" for mother on the Mother's Day card instead of "Mom." It has a pronunciation guide, glossary, and index. 2003, Chrysalis Education, International/Smart Apple Media, Ages 7 to 10, $16.95. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman
ISBN: 1-93198-396-8
Heirloom Cookbook: Recipes Handed Down by Jewish Mothers and Modern Recipes from Daughters and Friends
Compiled and edited by Miriam Lerner Satz
The Lerner family is not only a publishing family but also a cooking one, and this compilation of recipes is an exhaustive compendium of their generations of culinary creations. Arranged in an interesting fashion, it has chapters on Lerner and Satz Family Recipes, Recipes from Miriam Lerner Satz (the author), Passover Recipes, Sephardic (Spanish Jewish) Cooking, and Favorite Recipes from Friends. As one peruses its pages, one can't help but notice that the older the recipes, the more rich (and fattening); so take heart if you're dieting and pay attention to the later chapters from more modern family members and friends. In the meantime, though, you'll find just about every traditional Jewish dish you've ever wanted to make, like Gefilte Fish and Chopped Liver, as well as typical American ones like Fried Fish and Tuna, Noodle and Mushroom Soup Casserole. The family photographs sprinkled throughout will whet your appetite to try out these dishes on your own loved ones, and the "stay-flat" pages should make your job more efficient. Spicy Rhubarb Cake, anyone? 2003, Kar-Ben, Ages 12 up, $16.95. Reviewer: Judy Chernak
ISBN: 1-58013-095-X
Ilan Ramon: Israel's First Astronaut
Tanya Lee Stone
When the spaceship Columbia attempted to return home from space on February 1, 2003, something went terribly wrong. The spaceship was destroyed on its way back to Earth killing seven brave heroes. Ilan Ramon was among them. Ramon was born in Israel to Jewish parents from Poland and Germany who had suffered for their faith during World War II. Ramon served as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force, and then was asked if he wanted to become an astronaut. He didn't hesitate and moved his family to America where he would train. Ramon conducted experiments in space including experiments put together by students from all over the world. This biography not only includes information about Ilan Ramon and his contributions to the Columbia mission, but it also includes details about space shuttles, food in space, jobs in space, and full color pictures detailing Ramon's life on Earth and in space. This biography about this recent hero would be a great addition to any classroom or library. 2003, The Millbrook Press, Ages 8 to 12, $23.90. Reviewer: Marcie Flinchum Atkins
ISBN: 0-7613-2888-2
ISBN: 0-7613-2376-7
Ilan Ramon: Israel's Space Hero
Barbara Sofer
It's a story we wish had a different ending: Success would have been so much more fitting for Israel's first astronaut then a fiery death in the disintegrating space shuttle Columbia in 2003. But life lived on the edge doesn't always end happily, and Ilan Ramon, having chosen to be a fighter pilot for his country, died doing what he wanted to do and at the top of his game. This well-written chronicle of his life includes loving details of Ramon's closeness to his family and his people along with a Timeline of the major points in his career, including being the tail pilot at age 26 of the team that bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981. Real heroes aren't a dime a dozen these days; but the person who inhabits these pages fills the bill as a true role model for young people. Lots of photographs and suggested websites to visit. 2004, Kar-Ben, Ages 8 to 11, $6.95 and $16.95. Reviewer: Judy Chernak
ISBN: 1-58013-116-6
ISBN: 1-58013-115-8
Keeping the Promise: A Torah's Journey
Tami Lehman-Wilzig
Illustrations by Craig Orback
The Torah-the sacred scriptures of the Jews-has traveled the world in the hands of its faithful adherents; and in this book it also travels into space, as one of the personal items taken aboard the space shuttle Columbia by Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon. A miniature scroll, small enough to fit into a coat pocket, it began its journey in the possession of a Dutch Rabbi, Simon Dasburg. During the Nazi occupation of Holland, he smuggled it into the concentration camp to which he was deported. From him it moved into the possession of a thirteen-year-old boy at his clandestine Bar Mitzvah in the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. The rabbi died there, but the boy survived and grew up to be scientist Joachim Joseph, who designed an experiment that also went aboard the Columbia. The experiment, the Torah, and Ilan Ramon all perished with his crewmates when the Columbia disintegrated upon reentry into the United States. One fervently wishes they all could have survived. A wonderful, true tale of chance, continuity, and love graced with pictures that are spare but not overly frightening for this age group. 2003, Kar-Ben, Ages 7 to 10, $6.95 and 16.95. Reviewer: Judy Chernak
ISBN: 1-58013-118-2
Matzah Meals: A Passover Cookbook for Kids
Judy Tabs and Barbara Steinberg
Illustrated by Bill Hauser
What to do with all that matzah during the week-long Passover? With Matzah Meals, kids will soon be concocting such delectables as matzah pizza and tostados. Through their cookbook, Judy Tabs and Barbara Steinberg welcome youngsters to the kitchen. Imagine a child's pride in following these easy recipes to turn out gefilte fish kabobs, peach kugel and other dishes for the seder table. Also included is a child-friendly Passover guide, with a re-telling of the Passover story, description of seder symbols and ideas for decorative crafts such as a kiddush cup and matzah cover. Kids can even dramatize the ten plagues with homemade props. White rice transforms into lice with the addition of black-dot eyes. Styrofoam packing pellets make a good hail. Bill Hauser's funny black-and-white pictures will bring out the smiles along with the spatulas. 2004, Kar-Ben/Lerner, Ages 5 to 12, $7.95. Reviewer: Mary Quatttlebaum
ISBN: 1-58013-086-0
Moses: The Long Road to Freedom
Retold by Ann Keay Beneduce
Illustrated by Gennady Spirin
Everyone knows the story of Moses, the Hebrew lawgiver who, with God's help, shepherded his people from slavery in ancient Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land of Israel. So why produce yet another book retelling the tale? In this case, because the telling is both fresh and accurate, and the pictures are incredibly beautiful. Artist Spirin, trained in Russia and now living in Princeton, NJ, has produced a magnificent volume of gorgeous watercolor and pencil drawings notable for their authenticity, detail and sheer beauty. One can almost feel the sheerness of the Egyptian maidens' linen gowns, the nubby curls of Moses' sheepskin robe, the bumps on the frogs' (Plague # 2) backs. And his faces, details, and dancing people are pure delight. As to the text, it is based on both the King James Bible and the 1981 "The Torah, Modern Commentary" (Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981) so proves accurate though modern and is quite beautifully readable. This is a superb book that belongs on coffee tables as well as in libraries and private homes. 2004, Orchard, Ages 8 up, $16.95. Reviewer: Judy Chernak
ISBN: 0-439-35225-8
Run, Boy Run
Uri Orlev
Award-winning author, Uri Orlev, vividly portrays the life of nine year old Jurek Staniak. The story unfolds during the atrocities of World War II when eight year old Srulik Friedman speaks a final goodbye to his father who begs the young boy "to find someone to teach you to act like a Christian." Jurek is now alone and on the run in the Polish countryside. His adventures and instincts teach him to steal, lie and run to stay alive. Hiding his real identity, he becomes dependent on himself and sometimes on others to stay alive. Jurek lives with a gang of boys who teach him how to survive. Poor farmers help him at times and in one horrible incident the boy actually loses his arm because a Polish doctor refuses to operate on him because he is a Jew. It is a bleak story but compelling. Similar to Spinell's Milkweed, it is a story about survival, horror and the struggle of the human spirit to survive at all costs during a dangerous and hard to understand period in history. This book is one that belongs on the shelf in any library media center and in intermediate and middle school classroom libraries. 2003, Houghton Mifflin Co, Ages 9 to 12, $15.00. Reviewer: Sue Reichard
ISBN: 0-618-16465-0
Tali's Jerusalem Scrapbook
Sylvia Rouss
Illustrated by Nancy Oppenheimer
Tali is devastated when her American relatives cancel their trip to visit her in her home in Jerusalem because they feel it is too dangerous to travel. Looking through her scrapbook of photos makes her nostalgic for a time when Jerusalem was a safer place to live. Her friend, an older man, helps her to understand and overcome her own fears. He uses different flavors of ice cream as a metaphor for cultural diversity. As her Israeli friends gather to celebrate her birthday, she acknowledges their differences that help make Jerusalem the home she loves, and wishes that her American relatives could visit the next year. The text is obviously from the perspective of a Jewish child, expressing the tension felt daily. While it will do nothing to mend relations between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem, it is beautifully written. The illustrations beautifully convey contemporary people living in a city full of history. 2003, Pitspopany Press, Ages 6 to 9, $14.95. Reviewer: Micki S. Nevett
ISBN: 1-930143-68-0
"Til the Cows Come Home"
Jodi Icenoggle
Illustrated by Normand Chartier
This is an intriguing Western version of the old Jewish folktale about a button, sometimes called "Something from Nothing." A young cowboy, when not busy with his ranching chores, makes bridles, saddles, "all sorts of riggins." His "leather poundin' was finer than frog's hair." One day he is given a fine piece of leather, from which he makes "whoopi-ti-yi-yo chaps" that he figures to wear "'til the cows come home." But they eventually wear out; still he has enough leather for a fine vest. After that gets "drab," he manages a "rootin', tootin' pair of gloves." By this time he is courting sweet Sally Mae. All he can squeeze from the worn gloves is a hat band to wear to their wedding. Each time he thinks he creation will last "'til the cows come home." But finally even the button he makes from the hat band gets lost. All he has left is the story to tell his little girl. But that will last "'til the cows come home." Chartier fills the double pages with attractive characters in the "wide open spaces." The outfits and "riggins" fit the activities of roping or barn dancing. The final scenes of the father and daughter add tenderness to the fun. There is a glossary of the Western vocabulary. 2004, Boyds Mills, Ages 5 to 8, $15.95. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 1-56397-987-X
Toby Belfer Visits Ellis Island
Gloria Teles Pushker
Illustrated by Judith Hierstein
As in other "Toby Belfer" series, readers get to go along for the ride as Toby's grandmother tells her yet another family story. This particular book takes readers back to the early 1900's, tracing Toby's great-grandmother to a Jewish town in Poland. When an army of soldiers came to the town threatening people, the family quickly left. They were crammed in a ship with many other families who were also running in the pursuit for freedom. The ship and its passengers had to endure a thunderstorm, which just increased their fear and anxieties about going to a new land. When it was all over, they looked out and saw Ellis Island, a rainbow and the Statue of Liberty. Their first task upon arriving in America was standing in long lines to be checked for any illnesses; they were questioned, had to provide personal documentation and many changed their name. Many immigrants like Toby's family came to settle in America, learning a new language and new customs. Toby's family settled in New Orleans and opened their own hat shop. After Toby hears her family's story, she looks forward to visiting Ellis Island for herself. A bibliography and brief glossary are provided as well to encourage further learning. This book is a great tool to introducing young readers to the experience of many immigrants. 2003, Pelican Publishing Company, Ages 7 to 9, $14.95. Reviewer: Michele Wilbur
ISBN: 1-58980-117-2
Upon the Head of the Goat
Aranka Siegal
This warm and engaging look at the enduring spirit of the family will be a real find for teachers and librarians, as well as homeschoolers looking for a new viewpoint of the Holocaust. Siegal recalls her childhood in Hungary, from the outbreak of World War II until the day her family is sent to a Jewish ghetto and then to a death camp. At first a carefree 9-year-old, her outlook slowly grows in maturity as she becomes more aware of what is happening in her country. Siegal portrays her mother and sister as unsung heroines, never taking credit for the small acts of courage she herself displays. It's full of small, telling details such as the ways her mother copes with worsening food shortages, the increasing coolness of former "friends" who were Christian, and the fact that recess games were replaced with military exercises. They create an increasing sense of dread, especially since we know what the characters don't: that most Jewish families will not survive. Highly recommended. 2003 (orig. 1981), Sunburst/Farrar Straus and Giroux, Ages 12 up, $5.95. Reviewer: Donna Freedman
ISBN: 0-374-48079-6
Wonders and Miracles: A Passover Companion
Compiled by Eric A. Kimmel
A Passover Companion-not a Haggadah, the book that's actually read at the Passover Seder feast-Wonders and Miracles is a wonderful compilation of "art spanning three thousand years" along with stories, songs, poems, prayers, and commentary on the Order of the Seder. Prolific, award-winning author Kimmel has put together an elegant book which he urges us to read "before the Seder" and use "during the Seder...to answer questions that the participants might have." That's good advice, since he does follow the prescribed order of ceremonies Jews will be doing at their tables; yet he breaks frequently for stories (including "Alone in the Castle" by Rachel Pomerantz, "The Passover Guest" by Robert Rubinstein, "A Passover Mix-up"-a K'tonton story-by Sadie Rose Weilerstein, and others); songs (lyrics only-music would have been helpful); blessings; recipes; and commentaries. The pictures are priceless and quite varied, ranging from thirteenth century illuminations to modern illustrations from Haggadot and story books. Most of the material is suitable for older children and adults, but there are a few things grade schoolers would enjoy having read to them in preparation for this widely celebrated and beloved holiday. 2004, Scholastic, Ages 10 up, $18.95. Reviewer: Judy Chernak
ISBN: 0-439-07175-5
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Last Updated 4/1/04.
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