A niche offering that may find appreciative audiences in Jewish-school or synagogue-library collections.
Riches are in the eye of the beholder.
Tuvia, an impoverished porter, encounters a green-garbed stranger with bright pink skin who promises him “seven good years,” to commence whenever he chooses. Tuvia’s wife, Sorka, wants them to begin immediately; magically, a pile of gold appears behind the family hut. The seven years fly by. When the benefactor returns to tell Tuvia that time’s up, he’s surprised the couple still wear tattered garments and reside in their shabby hut; the gold is still piled high. Sorka explains they spent the money only on their children’s education and want the rest donated to those “less fortunate.” The benevolent stranger takes it away. But the next morning, more gold is piled in their yard, and—readers learn—“another seven years began.” This humorous, ambiguous, slightly confusing tale, translated from Hebrew and expressed in a bouncy oral-storyteller’s voice, is based on a story published in the early 1900s by renowned Yiddish author Isaac Leib Peretz and, per the backmatter, “reflects Peretz’s appreciation for the simple piety of Eastern European Jews and his interest in Jewish folktales and values.” It’s a conversation sparker about how being rich really means being satisfied with what you already have. The lively cartoonish illustrations are colorful but seem unsuited to a folktale and give no real sense of time or place. Tuvia’s family is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A niche offering that may find appreciative audiences in Jewish-school or synagogue-library collections. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 9798986396521
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kalaniot Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
An empowering and important tale of bravery.
A Black Muslim boy must summon the courage to ask for a place at school to pray.
It’s Muhammad’s seventh birthday, and Daddy has a special gift for him: a prayer rug that’s royal blue with gold stitching and that smells of incense. Muhammad is now old enough to independently offer the five Muslim daily prayers, or salat. He packs the rug before school the next day and plans to find a private place for salat. But asking his teacher for help feels harder than anticipated—especially after seeing mean passersby jeer at his father, who prays in the open while working as an ice cream truck driver. To claim a space, Muhammad will need to be brave, just like his joyful, hardworking Daddy. Once again, Thompkins-Bigelow (Mommy’s Khimar, 2018) has written a beautiful, positive, and welcome portrayal of Black Muslim families. Her melodic writing captures Muhammad’s feelings as he works to find his voice and advocate for his needs. Aly’s playful, energetic illustrations offer a nod to Islamic art traditions and work in tandem with the text to give readers a glimpse into Muhammad’s hopes, fears, and growth. An author’s note explains what salat is, the times and names of the prayers, how it is performed, and other relevant terms used within the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An empowering and important tale of bravery. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781984848093
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
A beautifully written page-turner about belonging.
Badir, a newly arrived Tunisian immigrant to Canada, rallies along with his classmates to save a beaver’s natural habitat from destruction by local residents annoyed by the animal’s constant damage to surrounding trees.
Badir is captivated by what he initially thinks is a huge, swimming rat, an animal he briefly spotted in a pond on his way back from school. With the help of the internet, his teacher, classmates, and also forthcoming strangers eager to share what they know, Badir soon learns that the little creature he spied in darkness is in fact a beaver, Canada’s national symbol. He also finds out that local residents, worried by how the beaver might harm the trees around its habitat, are starting a petition to have what they regard as a pest removed from the park. Unfazed by the task ahead, Badir, along with his classmates, organizes a countercampaign—brainstorming sessions, banners, and all. Who will ultimately get the upper hand? Will the beaver saga have a happy ending? With her gentle tale, Stewart does an excellent job at promoting cultural understanding, not only by foregrounding a young Muslim character and his family, but also by setting the story during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, introducing the reader to many of its facets and doing so with effortless grace. Gendron’s black-and-white illustrations depict a multiracial urban setting.
A beautifully written page-turner about belonging. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1727-2
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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