(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. "She made applesauce sweet / for a Hanukkah treat. / She made latkes yummy / and filled up her tummy." A rabbi celebrates the eight nights of Hanukkah with her family in this cumulative rhyming tale. Torah reading, brisket, the dreidel game, menorah lighting, and chocolate gelt are also part of the family's observance. Slightly exaggerated cartoon illustrations emphasize fun, faith, and tradition. This book will appeal most to those already familiar with holiday, which, "as we all know," helps us "...remember a miracle / from a long time ago." An appended paragraph provides some history.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mélanie Florian. Marcy's excited to be the question-asker at her Passover seder, since "she knew a lot about questions. She asked them all the time." But her four questions--e.g., "Are worms kosher for Passover?"--aren't what her family expected. It's a gentle misunderstanding with a satisfying resolution; cartoonlike, emotive illustrations capture Marcy's enthusiasm. The actual Four Questions (and their answers) are included.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rebecca Ashdown. Each night of Hanukkah, our pet-desiring narrator receives a gift that makes little sense on its own: "a hard metal lamp," "a squeezy-squirty spray bottle." It all adds up to a (living) surprise, while the family members' gifts to Grandma add up to another surprise that gives the former its name. Increasingly creative latke varieties each night add some eight-nights-is-a-lot humor. Pastel-toned illustrations create a sense of happy family celebration.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Vavouri. During the Great Depression, Pavel, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, plants trees with the Civilian Conservation Corps and gets to know other Americans from different cultures; some are more welcoming than others. This historical-fiction picture book’s text provides an accessible entry point to this element of history and to themes of assimilation; colorful, textured illustrations are eye-catching, if slightly uneven.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) PS Illustrated by Monica Gutierrez. "On the first night of Hanukkah, / what did Barnyard Bubbe see? / One sack of meal. / 'Oh, my. Who has left this for me?'" A hoof in the illustration and a neigh hint at the answer; on the next night, two cups of oil are left with an oink. Illustrations give way to the cheerful reveal: the whole menagerie enjoying Bubbe's latkes. The pattern in this counting board book invites noisy participation.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard. During WWII, Sam and Keiko's class is knitting socks for U.S. soldiers. Before Keiko's family is sent to an internment camp, kindly Keiko leaves behind a note and a pair of hand-knitted socks for Sam's soldier brother. Sam (whose family is Jewish) determinedly makes a scarf to mail to Keiko in return, the phrase come home safely taking on new meaning for him. Many of the border-framed illustrations aptly look like vintage photographs. Appended with information about internment camps.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) K-3 Translated by Noga Applebaum. Illustrated by Yael Albert. In 1944, Francesco Tirelli (a real person) hides Jews from the Nazis--many in his closed-for-the-season Budapest gelateria. While in hiding, teenaged Peter (Meir's father-in-law) creates a menorah using a chocolate mold and cooking oil. The illustrations' rosy tones give way to shadowy blues, allowing the menorah's light to stand out. The gentle, smoothly translated text doesn't offer many details but should work well as a discussion starter. A hopeful tale of kindness, resourcefulness, and comfort in traditions.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(4) K-3 Translated by Nancy Wellins. Illustrated by Yossi Abolafia. In ancient Jerusalem, Itamar searches for a golden bell missing from a garment he’s helping to mend; in 2011, an archaeologist finds it. The ending is abrupt, and back matter would be useful to give context to the real-life find, but the book demonstrates the human stories behind archaeology. Smoothly translated text and cartoon-style illustrations add interest and bring the long-ago setting to life.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. In line at a pizza place, Missy meets Jane, who exchanges Post-its from the restaurant's wall for her pizza. After Missy's dad explains that each Post-it represents a slice pre-purchased by another customer as a mitzvah (good deed), Missy is inspired to pay forward slices herself. Cheerful cartoonlike illustrations are a good match for the girls' friendship; an author's note describes the Philadelphia shop on which the story is based.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Daniele Fabbri. Bezalel, an Israelite slave in Ancient Egypt, collects unusual things. When the Exodus begins, the boy insists on bringing his Beautiful Things Box with him. When God asks Moses to build a mishkan, a house filled with beautiful things, Bezalel is the only one ready to provide treasures. Soft paintings convey a sense of wonder in this unusual retelling of a biblical story (discussed in the author's note).

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Daniela Stamatiadi. Kurt wants to join his brother and older friends in fighting against Hitler Youth: he proves he's brave enough through his trumpet playing. This story of resistance in Nazi Germany keeps the focus on blues music, letting anti-Semitism be a backdrop rather than the focus. Thoughtful, intricate illustrations include swastikas and depictions of Hitler. An author's note provides more information about the real Edelweiss Pirates.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cosei Kawa. Instead of wearing heavy iron braces for her weak legs, the doctor lets young Lily Marks take dance lessons to strengthen them. Thus begins the ascent of the first Jewish prima ballerina assoluta, later known as Alicia Markova. Goddu tells the true story with elegant simplicity; an afterword offers more straightforward biography. Kawa's ornately detailed, stylized illustrations capture the wonder and magic of ballet.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ellen Kahan Zager. The Jewish creation story is retold in simple rhyming verses (for example, Day Six concludes: "Creatures that slither and crawl and alight, / Beasts that run wild and howl in the night"). The inventive illustrations use the Hebrew letters that name each object, animal, or person in the text as design elements. An excellent glossary shows the images, the English words, the transliterations, and the original Hebrew words.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gary Cherrington. A rare Jewish Major League player, Moe Berg took a hiatus from baseball to work as a spy for the OSS during World War II, parachuting into Yugoslavia, reporting on the Nazi’s progress toward developing the atom bomb, and more. The interesting biography is illustrated with emotive cartoons. No sourcing is provided, but an afterword (with a couple of photos) expands on Berg's interesting life story.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kristina Swarner. This useful volume features brief, short-lined, free-verse poems and "reflections" for each night of the holiday, connecting the ritual of candle-lighting to broader themes. It also provides Hebrew blessings with English transliterations and translations, historical background, dreidel-playing instructions, recipes, crafts, and sheet music. Mottled illustrations in warm pinks and blues evoke the hushed atmosphere around a lit menorah, while the text provides room for contemplation along with practical information.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elissambura. In this joyously colorful, culturally specific cumulative book featuring Ugandan Jews, Auntie Sanyu prepares for Sukkot: "It was time to build the sukkah. It took her three long days. / She hung plantains and paper chains and asked her friends to stay." Lion, Parrot, Camel, and others celebrate appropriately, but Warthog hogs the etrog--until Auntie's niece, Sara, arrives. A paragraph about Jews in Uganda is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Fortenberry. Despite wintry weather, Sadie searches for a way to plant a tree on Tu B'Shevat, the "birthday of the trees." The problem is a relatable one for many Jewish readers not in warm-climate Israel (where the holiday was created), but the solutions from family members come a bit too easily. Sometimes-blurry illustrations effectively vary colors to distinguish between the present and Grandma's memories.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Abigail Tompkins. In this hybrid potty-training/religious story, Noah and Naamah want the animals on the ark to be comfortable, and that includes having potties for all creatures. Everyone celebrates taking care of their bodies and learns that food goes in and waste comes out. Owl teaches a prayer, based on a real Hebrew prayer. Though the story is slight, the illustrations depict sweetly personified animals adjusting to their surroundings.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) 4-6 In 1986, eleven-year-old Molly travels with her parents and brother to Israel for a month over the summer. She's nervous about meeting her extended family, including her maternal grandparents who don't speak English, but she comes away with a better appreciation of her Jewish heritage. Detailed descriptions highlight the beauty and diversity of the country, along with occasional discussions of its challenges and conflicts.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker. A large Brooklyn-of-yore family's new parrot, Hametz, gets a little too involved in the Seder, repeating the Four Questions it learned from young narrator Lily and swiping the afikomen. In this thirty-fifth anniversary edition, the humorous, slightly revised text and new oil and collage illustrations are full of accurate Passover details as well as warm nostalgia.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax