A reissue with a fresh look and powerful messaging.
An updated version of Kimmel’s collection of retold stories that illuminate the themes of the Jewish new year.
A lengthy foreword strikes a poignant note for readers familiar with the traditions of the Days of Awe (also known as the High Holidays) and provides a helpful introduction to those who are not. In the first story, a passing soldier entrusts an impoverished glovemaker’s wife with the care of a tarnished samovar. As she does a myriad of charitable deeds, her family is blessed with good fortune, and the samovar acquires a new shine. In the second tale, an uneducated shepherd, admonished by a stern rabbi for his enthusiastic but unorthodox method of praising God, stops praying until he learns that one should always worship from the heart. In the final story, a learned rabbi unthinkingly makes a cruel remark about a beggar; ashamed, he throws himself at the beggar’s feet until the rabbi’s daughter shows them both the power of forgiveness. Kimmel’s dynamic storytelling is once more on full display in these retellings of classic Jewish tales. Green’s sunny illustrations lighten the book and provide the original 1991 edition with a refreshing facelift. Bright backgrounds set a vibrant tone and serve to color-code each story. Many Jewish customs are depicted, such as the wearing of head coverings and tallit, and the characters vary in skin tone.
A reissue with a fresh look and powerful messaging. (introduction, note on sources, author’s note) (Anthology. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2025
ISBN: 9780823456550
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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