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Jane Yolen, a Sydney Taylor Body of Work Award winning author, has published over 400 books for children and adults, including The Devil’s Arithmetic, Owl Moon, and the How Do Dinosaurs . . .? series. Her stories and poems have won the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, three World Fantasy Awards, three Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, two Golden Kite Awards, the Jewish Book Award and the Massachusetts Center for the Book award, among others. She currently resides in Hatfield, MA. Steliyana Doneva's love of painting and drawing started in early childhood. She studied applied arts in Sofia, Bulgaria, specializing in children’s toys. Then she graduated with a degree in graphic arts, where she found her love for children’s book illustration. She has also illustrated Adam's Animals and The Persian Princess, also from Apples & Honey Press. Stela lives with her husband and three children in Sofia, Bulgaria.
It’s the holiday of Purim, and a large, powerful-sounding grager gives a small elementary school boy a strong sense of security. Micah feels mighty and confident when he holds it in his hands and hears the fabulous noise it can produce. He knows the grager will subdue the frightening bullies in his life, the same way it was used to vanquish the name of evil Haman. Reveling in how safe he is with this magnificent item in his possession, Micah sleeps peacefully and dreams of fine adventures. In the morning, he brings the grager to school, where an understanding teacher realizes its power to boost students’ confidence. She offers it to the smallest child in the class, who then feels capable and competent. Micah discovers that true strength comes from inside, and that he can use this knowledge to help himself during difficult times. The book’s color illustrations are reminiscent of Purim. An author’s note describes the history of the holiday and reminds readers of the value of standing up to bullies. It encourages us to think about the things we can do to make each other feel powerful and safe. —Helen Weiss Pincus, Jewish Book Council
