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Barbara Bietz is an award-winning author and the creator of the website Jewish Books for Kids where she interviews authors, illustrators, editors, and more. Barbara is a former chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Awards committee (Association of Jewish Libraries). When she isn’t writing, Barbara enjoys playing guitar and building dollhouses. She lives with her family in Southern California. June Sobel loves picture books for the way they awaken the wonder of words in children and keep the child alive in adults. Creating books for the very young pre-readers is her passion. She is the author of more than 10 picture books, including the best-selling THE GOODNIGHT TRAIN series. June enjoys exploring the world, hiking, and photography. Her website is junesobel. She lives in Westlake Village, California. June Sobel loves picture books for the way they awaken the wonder of words in children and keep the child alive in adults. Creating books for the very young pre-readers is her passion. She is the author of more than 10 picture books, including the best-selling THE GOODNIGHT TRAIN series. June enjoys exploring the world, hiking, and photography. Her website is junesobel. She lives in Westlake Village, California. Ruth Waters creates illustrations using collage, decorating the paper by hand using brushes, rollers - even old toothbrushes - to create unique textures. As an author/illustrator she has five published picture books and been shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2019 and 2020, Children's Book Category. She lives in England.
This deceptively simple story celebrates a year of Jewish holidays using apples as the through line. With sparse, rhyming text, each spread celebrates a different Jewish holiday, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and continuing through Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu B’shevat, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot. While the minimal text doesn’t explain much, each short rhyme includes something about the holiday, whether it is the apples and honey eaten on Rosh Hashanah or the trees planted on Tu B’Shevat. The illustrations are collage style on solid white backgrounds. A fox, bear, and raccoon are depicted fairly realistically, with a slightly cartoony feel. They wear no clothes, but do sit at tables and wave flags. The simple, bold illustrations pop on the white backgrounds and will catch and engage the attention of toddlers and preschoolers. The sparse text and bright illustrations would work equally well for a story time or a one-on-one reading. The lack of explanation makes this book most effective for a knowledgeable Jewish adult to share with a child; the general appeal of food and holidays will speak even to the uninitiated. Brief back matter includes a short author’s note on the back cover. VERDICT This will be a welcome addition to Jewish schools and libraries looking for holiday books for their youngest readers. Public libraries will benefit from including this title as well. PreS-K– –Amy Lilien-Harper, School Library Journal
