Book Bundles: Jewish Role Models

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Noa Kelner. This book is an expansion of a passage from the Talmud about Rabbi Hanina's experience getting caught in the rain. It reads very much like a folktale and focuses on the old man's interaction with animals, nature, and the Divine, and on the ultimate lesson of finding contentment and fitting in with the natural world. The text highlights Rabbi Hanina's one-sided conversation with the heavens while also providing details about the animals he sees and his internal emotional experience. While the illustrations in general are bright and whimsical, Hanina (and his long gray beard) comes across as serious.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe. In 1863 a woman named Eliza Davis began a correspondence with Charles Dickens. Her first letter compliments the author for his attention to social issues but criticizes his portrayal of Jewish characters ("a vile prejudice"). Dickens initially responds harshly but eventually comes to rail against prejudice and creates kind Jewish characters in future work. Stancliffe's inviting illustrations with a lush palette are interspersed with black-and-white drawings that evoke Dickens's era. Churnin's language also echoes the period and includes direct quotes from the pair's seven letters. An author's note provides additional historical context for antisemitism in Great Britain and comments on how Dickens "encouraged sympathy for the Jewish community."

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Bee Johnson. Introduction by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This collection of thirty-three short biographies covers Biblical times (Miriam, Deborah) through the twentieth century (Bella Abzug, Nadine Gordimer). The women display a vast range of achievements, approaches to overcoming obstacles, and fields of interest (women of color are notably missing). The main text is more informational than inspirational, but RBG's direct involvement in the project adds cachet. A short blurb following each profile connects the topic to contemporary issues. A closing call to action encourages readers to take an activist approach to current events. Each biography is introduced with a colorfully stylized interpretive portrait.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth