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List updated 9/15. Or should I say 5776?
To celebrate Rosh Hashanah, here are some recent picture books. Lesléa Newman’s beautiful Here Is the World, illustrated by Susan Gall, is a lyrical, kid-friendly survey of Jewish holidays throughout the seasons.The sweet and rollicking Rabbi Benjamin’s Buttons by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt, begins (and ends, the following year) on Rosh Hashanah. You’ll never look at holiday sweaters the same way again.
Rocklin, Joanne
I Say Shehechiyanu
24 pp. Kar-Ben 2015. LE ISBN 978-1-4677-3467-7 PE ISBN 978-1-4677-3469-1 Ebook ISBN 978-1-4677-6203-8
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Monika Filipina. A little girl says Shehechiyanu (a Jewish “blessing for beginnings”) over the course of a year, including when she gets new shoes for Rosh Hashanah; lights the Hanukkah candles; asks the Four Questions at Passover; and welcomes a friend home from summer vacation. The gentle text and warm-toned illustrations convey the importance of appreciating life’s special moments and milestones.
More recommendations from past years, courtesy of The Horn Book Guide:
Cohen, Deborah Bodin Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-8648-7
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Shahar Kober. In 1892, Ari is chosen to drive the first train from Jaffa to Jersusalem at Rosh Hashanah. In his excitement and pride, he ignores two friends, which he later regrets. Ari returns to Jaffa as soon as possible to do teshuvah, the annual New Year’s effort to do better. Cheerful illustrations accompany the pleasant but didactic text. With an author’s note. Glos.
Greene, Jacqueline Dembar The Secret Shofar of Barcelona
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2009. ISBN 978-0-8225-9915-9
PE ISBN 978-0-8225-9944-9
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Rafael and his orchestra conductor father live as conversos (Jews who practice their faith in secret) in sixteenth-century Barcelona. The text describes how Rafael manages to blow the shofar for Rosh Hashanah right under the city leaders’ noses. The story is intriguing, but the telling is a little stiff. Well-composed gold-hued paintings illustrate the tale. An author’s note gives more information.
Heiligman, Deborah Celebrate Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur
32 pp. National 2007. ISBN 978-1-4263-0076-9
LE ISBN 978-1-4263-0077-6
Gr. K-3 Holidays around the World series. Heiligman’s writing evokes respect for religious traditions while making them accessible to children. Her use of the inclusive “we” will encourage readers to embrace their own traditions or imagine themselves in less familiar ones. Festive photographs from around the world reinforce the unifying effect of the holidays. Additional facts, a recipe, a map, and a one-page essay about the holidays are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Jules, Jacqueline What a Way to Start a New Year!: A Rosh Hashanah Story
24 pp. Kar-Ben 2013. ISBN 978-0-7613-8116-7
PE ISBN 978-0-7613-8117-4
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Judy Stead. A series of accidents prevents Dina and her family, who’ve just moved, from celebrating Rosh Hashanah with their former neighbors. Luckily, a new family invites them to dinner after services, making them feel welcome. The be-nice-to-your-neighbor message, reinforced by friendly illustrations, isn’t subtle; kids may enjoy reciting the book’s exasperated refrain (also the title). An explanation of the holiday is included.
Kimmel, Eric A. Even Higher!: A Rosh Hashanah Story by I. L. Peretz
32 pp. Holiday 2009. ISBN 978-0-8234-2020-9
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Jill Weber. Where does the rabbi disappear to during the days before Rosh Hashanah? His congregants think he visits heaven to intercede for them with God. When a skeptic comes to town, he follows the rabbi and learns of his true (earthly) good deeds. Kimmel’s lively adaptation of the I. L. Peretz tale is well matched by Weber’s spirited, child-friendly mixed-media illustrations.
Kropf, Latifa Berry It’s Shofar Time!
24 pp. Kar-Ben 2006. LE ISBN 1-58013-158-1
PS Photographs by Tod Cohen. Clear color photos of preschoolers celebrating Rosh Hashanah are accompanied by simple, large-type descriptions of holiday essentials and related New Year fun. One caveat–any preschooler would find it almost impossible to blow the very long shofar pictured. This book is one of a series of photo-essays about Jewish holidays.
Marshall, Linda Elovtiz Talia and the Rude Vegetables
24 pp. Kar-Ben 2011. ISBN 978-0-7613-5217-4
PE ISBN 978-0-7613-5218-1
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Francesca Assirelli. Talia is confounded by her grandmother’s request for some “rude vegetables” (carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc.) for the Rosh Hashanah stew. While digging up an “ornery onion” and “garish garlic,” she thinks about her own behavior; all ends with holiday sweetness. The joke goes on a little long, but the end is rewarding. Autumnal colors and rounded shapes evoke comfortable family scenes.
Ofanansky, Allison What’s the Buzz?: Honey for a Sweet New Year
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2011. LE ISBN 978-0-7613-5640-0
Gr. K-3 Photographs by Eliyahu Alpern. A group of students visit an Israeli bee farm and learn about how honey is made, just in time for Rosh Hashanah. Sharp color photographs against autumn-hued backdrops show the children enjoying the day. The text, though bland, delivers copious facts about bees and honey, which may be interesting to Jewish children preparing for the holiday. “Fun Facts” are appended.
Schnur, Susan and Schnur-Fishman, Anna Tashlich at Turtle Rock
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2010. ISBN 978-0-7613-4509-1 PE ISBN 978-0-7613-4510-7
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Alex Steele-Morgan. Narrator Annie and her family observe Tashlich (performed during Rosh Hashanah) by spending time in nature. They throw bread into moving water to carry away the mistakes of the past year, exchanging stories of good and bad things and discussing their wishes for the new year. The idealized dialogue is unconvincing but heartfelt. Illustrations reflect the fall season.
Silverman, Erica When the Chickens Went on Strike: A Rosh Hashanah Tale
32 pp. Dutton 2003. ISBN 0-525-46862-5
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Trueman. Silverman adapts a tale by Sholom Aleichem, best known for his Tevye the Milkman stories. A young boy explains the custom of making Kapores — waving a chicken over one’s head to get rid of one’s sins — and recalls the year the chickens went on strike. Trueman’s comically angry chickens aptly reflect the humor of the tale. The rich, dark colors of his mixed-media paintings evoke the Old World setting.
Soffer, Allison Sarnoff Apple Days: A Rosh Hashanah Story
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2014. LE ISBN 978-1-4677-1203-3 PE ISBN 978-1-4677-1204-0 Ebook ISBN 978-1-4677-1205-7
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Bob McMahon. Katy can’t wait for her annual mother-daughter Rosh Hashanah ritual of apple-picking and applesauce-making, but the new year brings a new baby cousin, whose early arrival alters the plans. Katy satisfyingly gets her applesauce (and readers get the recipe), though this is more a new-baby story than a Rosh Hashanah story. The overly cartoonish characters can best be described as apple-cheeked.
Wayland, April Halprin New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story
32 pp. Dial 2009. ISBN 978-0-8037-3279-7
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Izzy loves Tashlich, a Rosh Hashanah ceremony during which people apologize to those they’ve wronged then throw bread into the water to symbolize cleansing. Izzy has four apologies to make and is pleased when others apologize to him. The story’s educational aspects are handled with a light touch, a style reinforced by the loosely drawn pen-and-ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations.
The post Blowing the shofar, again, for fine books for boys and girls appeared first on The Horn Book.
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 8/21/2015
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Howdy, Campers--happy Poetry Friday (link at the bottom) and happy home grown veggies to all! (Did you know that August 2-8th was National Farmers Market Week? Or that August 22nd is National Honey Bee Day and September 7th is National Acorn Squash Day?)
We're blogging about going back to school this round. Esther starts us off with a review of Kate Messner's book on revision, a useful and inspiring book; JoAnn writes about using repetition and how to Write a Poem Step by Step, and you can win her book of that very title by entering the latest TeachingAuthors' book giveaway (which ends tonight at midnight) Then Carla shows how to approach the familiar How I Spent My Summer Vacation essay as a non-fiction writer, and Mary Ann tells us the story behind her wonderful book, First Grade Stinks!
Now it's my turn. I'm here to suggest two very different books for this time of year. One about food, one about forgiveness...and the new year.
This collection,with photographs by Norie Wasserman (wonderful cover!) includes poems about small gardens, free range chickens, bees, farmers' markets, fair trade, food banks, a poem that mentions Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, and more.
Any of these would be a wonderful topic for student poems, stories or a class discussion about food and farming. And the remarkable
Renee LaTulippe, at
No Water River, has created what she calls
"poet-a-palooza" about Dear Tomato. which includes videos of some of the poets reading their poems from this book. Many of the poems are by friends from the Kidlitosphere, including B.J.Lee, Mary Lee Hahn, Charles Waters, Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Bridget Magee, Buffy Silverman, Stephen Withrow, J. Patrick Lewis, Elizabeth Steinglass, and I'm sure I've missed some others.
This is the book I've been giving my neighborhood gardeners with whom I trade homegrown veggies. Here's one of my poems from the book:
HOE OBSERVING THE FARMER
by April Halprin Wayland
.
He knows a hoe.
Never letting go.
Holds me steady in his grip,
lifts me up to rip against the weight of air.
Then he pulls me back, bearing down,
yielding to the power of the ground.
Holds me steady in his grip,
never letting go.
He knows
a hoe.
poem (c)2015 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.
my father and mother on the farm
The second book, relevant this time of year is:
The Jewish New Year--Rosh Hashanah--is on September 13-15th this year, so now is a good time to read my picture book,
New Year at the Pier--a Rosh Hashanah Story illustrated by Stephane Jorisch. Here's Dial Books for Young Readers' summary:
Izzy's favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is Tashlich, a joyous ceremony in which people apologize for the mistakes they made in the previous year and thus clean the slate as the new year begins. But there is one mistake on Izzy's I m sorry list that he's finding especially hard to say out loud.Humor, touching moments between family and friends, and lots of information about the Jewish New Year are all combined in this lovely picture book for holiday sharing.
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Gold Medal for best Jewish picture book of the year
Here are four ways to use
New Year at the Pier with kids--and adults:
1) Use it to explain to students where absent schoolmates may be during the Jewish New Year.
2) Use it to open discussions about
how to apologize and forgive.
3) Use it to show how other cultures celebrate New Year.
4) Give it to someone you’ve wanted to apologize to for a long time
Click here for more activities,and for New Year rituals around the world.
It's been nice chatting with you today--thanks for allowing me to share ~ April Halprin Wayland
I’ve been reading a lot of Jewish-themed books lately (thank you, Sydney Taylor Book Award committee 
). I just finished Donna Jo Napoli’s very-alternate Noah’s Ark novel Storm about a teenage stowaway who’s saved by two bonobos. Strange and lovely.
To celebrate Rosh Hashanah, here are some recent picture books. Lesléa Newman’s beautiful Here Is the World, illustrated by Susan Gall, is a lyrical, kid-friendly survey of Jewish holidays throughout the seasons.The sweet and rollicking Rabbi Benjamin’s Buttons by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt, begins (and ends, the following year) on Rosh Hashanah. You’ll never look at holiday sweaters the same way again.
More recommendations from past years, courtesy of
The Horn Book Guide:
Cohen, Deborah Bodin Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-8648-7
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Shahar Kober. In 1892, Ari is chosen to drive the first train from Jaffa to Jersusalem at Rosh Hashanah. In his excitement and pride, he ignores two friends, which he later regrets. Ari returns to Jaffa as soon as possible to do teshuvah, the annual New Year’s effort to do better. Cheerful illustrations accompany the pleasant but didactic text. With an author’s note. Glos.
Greene, Jacqueline Dembar The Secret Shofar of Barcelona
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2009. ISBN 978-0-8225-9915-9
PE ISBN 978-0-8225-9944-9
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Doug Chayka. Rafael and his orchestra conductor father live as conversos (Jews who practice their faith in secret) in sixteenth-century Barcelona. The text describes how Rafael manages to blow the shofar for Rosh Hashanah right under the city leaders’ noses. The story is intriguing, but the telling is a little stiff. Well-composed gold-hued paintings illustrate the tale. An author’s note gives more information.
Heiligman, Deborah Celebrate Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur
32 pp. National 2007. ISBN 978-1-4263-0076-9
LE ISBN 978-1-4263-0077-6
Gr. K-3 Holidays around the World series. Heiligman’s writing evokes respect for religious traditions while making them accessible to children. Her use of the inclusive “we” will encourage readers to embrace their own traditions or imagine themselves in less familiar ones. Festive photographs from around the world reinforce the unifying effect of the holidays. Additional facts, a recipe, a map, and a one-page essay about the holidays are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Jules, Jacqueline What a Way to Start a New Year!: A Rosh Hashanah Story
24 pp. Kar-Ben 2013. ISBN 978-0-7613-8116-7
PE ISBN 978-0-7613-8117-4
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Judy Stead. A series of accidents prevents Dina and her family, who’ve just moved, from celebrating Rosh Hashanah with their former neighbors. Luckily, a new family invites them to dinner after services, making them feel welcome. The be-nice-to-your-neighbor message, reinforced by friendly illustrations, isn’t subtle; kids may enjoy reciting the book’s exasperated refrain (also the title). An explanation of the holiday is included.
Kimmel, Eric A. Even Higher!: A Rosh Hashanah Story by I. L. Peretz
32 pp. Holiday 2009. ISBN 978-0-8234-2020-9
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Jill Weber. Where does the rabbi disappear to during the days before Rosh Hashanah? His congregants think he visits heaven to intercede for them with God. When a skeptic comes to town, he follows the rabbi and learns of his true (earthly) good deeds. Kimmel’s lively adaptation of the I. L. Peretz tale is well matched by Weber’s spirited, child-friendly mixed-media illustrations.
Kropf, Latifa Berry It’s Shofar Time!
24 pp. Kar-Ben 2006. LE ISBN 1-58013-158-1
PS Photographs by Tod Cohen. Clear color photos of preschoolers celebrating Rosh Hashanah are accompanied by simple, large-type descriptions of holiday essentials and related New Year fun. One caveat–any preschooler would find it almost impossible to blow the very long shofar pictured. This book is one of a series of photo-essays about Jewish holidays.
Marshall, Linda Elovtiz Talia and the Rude Vegetables
24 pp. Kar-Ben 2011. ISBN 978-0-7613-5217-4
PE ISBN 978-0-7613-5218-1
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Francesca Assirelli. Talia is confounded by her grandmother’s request for some “rude vegetables” (carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc.) for the Rosh Hashanah stew. While digging up an “ornery onion” and “garish garlic,” she thinks about her own behavior; all ends with holiday sweetness. The joke goes on a little long, but the end is rewarding. Autumnal colors and rounded shapes evoke comfortable family scenes.
Ofanansky, Allison What’s the Buzz?: Honey for a Sweet New Year
32 pp. Kar-Ben 2011. LE ISBN 978-0-7613-5640-0
Gr. K-3 Photographs by Eliyahu Alpern. A group of students visit an Israeli bee farm and learn about how honey is made, just in time for Rosh Hashanah. Sharp color photographs against autumn-hued backdrops show the children enjoying the day. The text, though bland, delivers copious facts about bees and honey, which may be interesting to Jewish children preparing for the holiday. “Fun Facts” are appended.
Silverman, Erica When the Chickens Went on Strike: A Rosh Hashanah Tale
32 pp. Dutton 2003. ISBN 0-525-46862-5
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Trueman. Silverman adapts a tale by Sholom Aleichem, best known for his Tevye the Milkman stories. A young boy explains the custom of making Kapores — waving a chicken over one’s head to get rid of one’s sins — and recalls the year the chickens went on strike. Trueman’s comically angry chickens aptly reflect the humor of the tale. The rich, dark colors of his mixed-media paintings evoke the Old World setting.
Wayland, April Halprin New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story
32 pp. Dial 2009. ISBN 978-0-8037-3279-7
Gr. K-3 Illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Izzy loves Tashlich, a Rosh Hashanah ceremony during which people apologize to those they’ve wronged then throw bread into the water to symbolize cleansing. Izzy has four apologies to make and is pleased when others apologize to him. The story’s educational aspects are handled with a light touch, a style reinforced by the loosely drawn pen-and-ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations.
The post Blowing the shofar for fine books for boys and girls appeared first on The Horn Book.
By:
Betsy Bird,
on 9/26/2012
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Let’s start off with the me stuff since it’s quick. First and foremost, if you’ve thought to yourself, “Boy, I’d really like to watch Betsy talk about the Core Curriculum and then mention all the 2012 nonfiction books for kids she really likes and why they stand out,” you are in SUCH luck. The Highlights Foundation is hosting the Books That Rise Above workshop. Attend and you’ll hear folks like Patti Lee Gauch, Linda Sue Park, Leonard Marcus, Deborah Heiligman, and an alliterative librarian/blogger. And yes, I do know all that Core Curriculum stuff now. And boy, it’s a doozy.
- Speaking of Patti Lee Gauch and myself, the great editor visited NYPL the other day and spoke at my Children’s Literary Salon. SLJ covered the event as well. And the woman, if I do say so myself, was an undeniable hit.
- Finally, there’s a lovely Joan Aiken event coming up celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. I’m going to be a part of it (you can see me mentioned here as the “& more”. Very very exciting stuff.
- “So, to introduce 3- to 6-year-olds to the notion that there’s an inevitability to death . . . “ Is there anything better than a good Marjorie Ingalls Tablet piece? With Yom Kippur present and accounted for I’m grateful for Ms. Ingalls article on introducing kids to death with books, as mentioned in her piece Don’t Fear the Reaper. As for Rosh Hashanah and atonement, check out her Teaching Kids to Apologize. You can tell she doesn’t write her own titles for her written pieces, can’t you?
- The Caldecott blog Calling Caldecott is up and running yet again, which is fantastic. I couldn’t be more pleased to see them discussing works of photography as well. Does my creaky old photography loving heart good, it does. Plus Robin Smith gets extra points for ending her post with, “I hope the committee will step gently out of the box and consider this one.” BOOM! That’s how you do it, folks!
Photography is no stranger to designer Chad Beckerman. It was through his site Mishaps and Adventures that I learned about Abrams cool new abecedarian fun. To quote: “We over here at ABRAMS KIDS have started a campaign on Instagram and Twitter called A for ABRAMS ( #aforabrams ) We are collecting A’s that are artful, well designed, or just plain cool from anywhere that you might find them. The idea is whenever you happen to see one of these artful A’s out and about you can join us by hash tagging your A #aforabrams as well as including our Instagram or twitter handle @abramskids or @abramsbooks. Have some fun and we hope you all get to see the world around you a little better.” Head on over to Chad’s blog to see a whole smattering of fine and fancy A’s.
- Now let’s see what those crazy Antiquarians are up to. I admit that I don’t make it out to Antiquarian events as often as I’d like. That’s why it pleases me to see the following: “The bicentennial exhibition, ‘In Pursuit of a Vision,’ consisting of 150 items from the collections of the American Antiquarian Society (including some 35 children’s books) is now on display at the Grolier Club, 47 E. 60th St., New York. The exhibition is free and open to the public Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. until November 17, with the exception of Columbus Day, Oct. 8.” The exhibition was reviewed in the Sept. 12 edition of the New York Times and the American children’s books on display range from James Janeway’s Token for Children (1700) to the McLoughlin Bros. picture books and artwork produced in the late nineteenth century.
- Who are Britain’s Top Ten Children’s Literature Superstars? No, this isn’t a reality show competition (images of Philip Pullman balancing a pie plate on his chin suddenly pop uninvited into my head). The Independent has presented such a list and we are free to act very American and say, “Who is that?” Many is the Yank who would say those words when confronted with Jacqueline Wilson, Alan Garner, and Enid Blyton (Famous Five, famous schmive). Tolkien, Pratchett, and Gaiman need not apply apparently. Zoe Toft wondered who the American Top Ten Children’s Literature Superstars would be. I’m sure we all have our own lists, but I guess I’d have to go with Maurice Sendak, Eric Carle, E.B. White, Madeleine L’Engle . . . um . . . help me out here, people. Thanks to Playing By the Book for the link.
- Daily Image:
Until Alison Morris introduced them to me, I was unaware of the delight that was the Little Free Library system. You can read the New York Times article about them here. Basically they’re these adorable little boxes that you can fill with free books for folks to take. So for those of you with too many galleys in a given year, voila! Your solution. Here are some particularly cute ones (I like the prominent Going Bovine in the first):
Thanks to Alison Morris for the links!
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 9/2/2009
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Find out about our Teaching Author Book Give-Away Contest running all this week! Click here for details.
Happy New Year! This week we’re celebrating the new school year and our very own April Halprin Wayland’s book,
New Year at the Pier—A Rosh Hashanah Story, which is about another kind of new year—the Jewish New Year.
JoAnn:
Give us a feel for the time line of this book—from the first inkling of an idea to Book On the Shelf.
April:
I’ll tell you, but if you’re an aspiring children’s author, it might be best to cover your ears and sing “La, la, la” through today’s post…especially the very end.
So—here’s how it started. An editor asked me if I had any Jewish stories in me. I had a few…but one ritual was the standout for me: tashlich.
I began by writing down everything I knew about tashlich—how it feels to walk up the pier, singing, with two hundred of my friends, the sun, the waves, the butterflies in my tummy, the feeling I have when I give my “sins” to the winds.
Next, I read books about tashlich, starting with children’s books, though there weren’t many. The most recent children’s book I found in which tashlich is the main subject is Carol Levin’s
A Rosh Hashanah Walk (Kar-Ben, 1987).
Then I interviewed my friend, Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels of Beth Shir Sholom Temple in Santa Monica, California. Rabbi Neil is very tuned into kids; he’s written many albums of children’s songs.
I just re-read my notes from that afternoon and realize how much of what he taught me infuses the book. Look over my shoulder at a few of my notes:
• Rabbi Neil doesn’t like using the word “mistake,” as mistake means not on purpose, and sometimes you do some of these things on purpose.
• There’s a famous story of a man who goes to his rabbi and says that he gossiped about someone in town and he is now sorry and wants the rabbi to help him make it right. The rabbi said no, he can’t help this man. What? What do you mean, says the man. I really am sorry. I want to make it right. No can do, says the rabbi. But why? Asks the man. Go get me a knife and a feather pillow, says the rabbi. The man does. The rabbi stabs the feather pillow and takes out all the feathers and throws them to the winds. The idea is that you can’t always fix a situation. A situation can be changed through apology, but not undone.
• His example, regarding how you can’t fix something completely, was of a child stealing a doll and bringing it back. She might say, “I know I can bring the doll back, but I can’t make you trust me again.”
• Not: “It’s okay.” (Because maybe it’s not okay.) But: “I accept your apology.”
• Neil suggests that instead of burning her list, she uses it as a checklist.
After the manuscript was written and accepted, my editor, Lauri Hornik, guided me through the rewrites with her clear vision. I growled at her under my breath. She sent edits. I stomped around my computer. She sent more edits. Back and forth, back and forth.
But ask her now how many “Thank you, my dear darling editor!” notes I’ve sent her since the book came out! (Lauri’s since been promoted to President and Publisher of Dutton Children's Books, in addition to her previous title of President and Publisher of Dial. My new fabulous editor at Dial is Jessica Garrison.)
So here, finally, is the spoiler…the actual time line of New Year at the Pier:
• April 2002: interviewed rabbi
• October 2004: accepted by Dial
• many, many, many edits, changes, drafts…
• May 2007: projected publication date is 2008
• September 2007: book delayed until 2009
• April 2008: tiny edit—five small word changes
• June 2009: book is on bookstore shelves—YAY!
SEVEN YEARS?!?!?! Well, yes. Would you believe me if I told you it was worth the wait? Look at the harvest—a starred review in Publishers Weekly and lots of other
wonderful reviews!
image credits:
photo of people walking up the pier by Rachel Gilman
erase writing:
http://christinabakerkline.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/red_pencil.jpg
SHOW NOTES:
Author April Halperin Wayland talks about her Rosh Hashanah picture book, New Year at the Pier, and about some of her other writing projects.
Other interviews with April can be found on Just One More Book (audio podcast) and Barbara Bietz's Blog (text). Just One More Book's audio review of New Year at the Pier may be found here.
AUDIO:
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UPCOMING:
On the auspicious date of 09/09/09, ForWords is holding its grand re-opening! Watch for a podcast interview with founder Kathy Bloomfield to be released here at The Book of Life on that date, and be sure to visit www.forwordsbooks.com!
CREDITS:
Produced by: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
Supported in part by: Association of Jewish Libraries
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Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to [email protected]!
Find out about our Teaching Author Book Give-Away Contest running all this week! http://www.teachingauthors.com/2009/08/1-take-deep-cleansing-breath-2-set-goal.html
Happy New Year! This week we’re celebrating the new school year and our very own April Halprin Wayland’s book, New Year at the Pier--A Rosh Hashanah Story, which is about another kind of new year--the Jewish New Year.
Stay tuned for a series of Q&As from the TAs (say that five times fast) about the gestation of this touching story.
Jeanne Marie:
April, can you tell us a little about your religious identity and why you wrote this book?
April:
Although this book is about the Jewish New Year, it’s really about universal themes of forgiveness and apologizing, friendship and multi-cultural ways to celebrate new year.
Growing up, my Jewishness was all about big hugs from Uncle Raphael, Uncle Izzy, Uncle Avrum, Uncle Chucky, Uncle Davie, Uncle Moish, Uncle Max, Uncle Art, Aunt Fanny, Aunt Cissy, Aunt Sue, Aunt Frances, Aunt Polly, sitting at the “cousins table,” the smells of matzo ball soup, the bright magenta color and hot sting of horseradish, the dark shadow of the holocaust, overlapping layers of talking, laughter, holiday songs, and Yiddish words seasoning conversations, of flickering candles.
Above all, being Jewish meant that part of my job on earth was tikkun olam—to repair the world. My relatives modeled tikkun olam every day.
I’m married to Gary, a non-Jew who embodies tikkun olam in every action, in every breath. We are both political activists in an effort to repair the world, and we weave Judaism into the fabric of our family throughout the year in other ways, too:
On Friday nights, our family goes to our favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. I’m not sure how Jewish tacos are, but it’s our way of marking the start of the Sabbath, a time of rest and renewal.
In December, we have an annual latke party, inviting neighbors to bring electric skillets, spatulas and aprons. Hanukah latkes are yummy hot-from-the-frying-pan potato pancakes, served with apple sauce or sour cream. We set up latke-making stations, cook, gab, sing, bless the candles, play the dreidle game and eat!
Gary’s a CPA and his busiest time of the year is near Passover. For many years, my son and I traveled overseas during his spring break, where I taught writing and poetry workshops. I’ve taught in schools in Germany, France, England, Italy, Switzerland and Poland, and every year we celebrated Passover with new friends. (One memorable year we ate Passover dinner on the floor of our Berlin hotel room…ask me about it sometime!)
Tashlich is a ritual during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The exact date of Rosh Hashanah varies—in 2009, it’s Sept. 18-20th. When synagogue is over, nearly two hundred of us will walk to the pier, sing songs, and fling pieces of bread into the ocean.
Each piece of bread represents something we wish we hadn’t done in the past year. Tossing the bread (tashlich means “to throw”) is a way of letting go of the past. It represents the footwork we’ve done to sincerely apologize and compensate for any wrongs we’ve done, cleaning the slate for the New Year.
Tashlich is outdoors, in a beautiful setting. Tashlich is community, a huge component of the juiciness of Judaism.
Tashlich is about healing the world, beginning with me.
Tashlich my favorite Jewish celebration. I’ve dragged many friends to the pier so they could taste its poetry. I wanted them to feel the wind, hear the gulls, experience the relief of tossing each piece of bread.
How could I not share all this in a picture book?
image credits:
interior picture from New Year at the Pier © Stéphane Jorisch 2009
latkes: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k6Qpln2Ucz4/SSQYTaB212I/AAAAAAAABwU/nSGwt_qiZkk/s400/latkes.jpg
Author: April Wayland (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Stéphane Jorisch (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Dial Books (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780803732797
Crisp salt air and sunshine breeze from airy, upbeat illustrations in this chattily shared and poignant reminder of the bliss that is forgiveness.
Rosh Hashanah is September 19-20, 2009. Will you be tossing an “I’m Sorry” list?
More forgiveness on JOMB:
We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.
By: Rebecca,
on 9/29/2008
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Howard Schwartz is a Professor of English at the University of Missouri- St. Louis, his book Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism won the National Jewish Book Award in 2005. In his most 
recent book, Leaves From The Garden of Eden: One Hundred Classic Jewish Tales, Schwartz has gathered fairy tales, folktales, supernatural tales and mystical tales- representing the full range of Jewish folklore, from the Talmud to the present. In the excerpted story below, chosen by Schwartz to help us celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we learn how a young boy’s talent can save the day.
Long ago, on the Spanish island of Majorca, a young boy spent most of each day at the shore, sketching the ships that sailed into the harbor. Solomon was a wonderful artist, everyone agreed. His drawings seemed so real that people wondered if the waves in his pictures were as wet as they seemed-or the sun as hot.
His father was a great rabbi who really preferred Solomon to spend his time studying, but Solomon would always slip away to the shore.
A few days before Rosh ha-Shanah, a ship arrived from the city of Barcelona. Solomon overheard one of the sailors talking to a local merchant.
“There’s news from Spain that will make every Jew on the island tremble.”
“What is it?” asked the merchant.
“The king and queen have decreed that all the Jews in the land must give up their religion and become Christian.”
“And if they refuse?”
“Then they must leave at once,” said the sailor.
“But what if they want to stay?”
“Then they lose their lives.”
Solomon was frightened. He didn’t want to leave his beautiful island. He ran home to tell the news to his father, Rabbi Simeon ben Tzemah Duran.
“Must we leave, Father?” asked Solomon.
“I cannot leave, my son,” said his father. “The other Jews look to me for guidance. I must stay until they all escape. But you should go, and I will join you later in Algiers.”
“I won’t leave you,” said Solomon. “You are all I have since Mother died. Surely God will protect us.”
Rabbi Simeon hugged his brave son. “Then let us work together and spread the word that everyone must meet in the synagogue.” They hurried through the village, knocking at the doors of every Jewish home and shop.
When everyone had gathered at the house of prayer, Rabbi Simeon told them about the terrible decree.
“Save us!” they cried out in fear.
They hoped their beloved rabbi would work a miracle. For they knew his prayers had once turned back a plague of locusts. Another time, when crops were withering in the fields, his prayers had brought rain.
“You have only three choices,” Rabbi Simeon told the men. “You can escape by sailing to Algiers. You can stay and pretend to convert, but secretly remain a Jew. Or you can defy the king and queen. As for me, I would rather go to my grave than say I am giving up my religion.” Solomon realized how strong his father was and how he strengthened and comforted his people.
In the days that followed, most of the Jews crowded onto ships, taking very little with them. They saw to it that the women and children took the first available ships. Some Jews stayed and pretended to convert, in order to save their lives. They were known as Conversos, but in secret they continued to follow their Jewish ways.
Only a handful of Jews openly refused to convert. Among them were Solomon’s father and Solomon himself. They planned to leave together, once they were certain that all those who wanted to escape had done so.
By then it was the start of Rosh ha-Shanah. Rabbi Simeon and Solomon and those few who dared enter the synagogue prayed with great intensity, in hope that their names would be written in the Book of Life. For on Rosh ha-Shanah that decision is said to be made on high. Surely God would hear their prayers and guard over them.
All went well the first day, but on the second day of Rosh ha-Shanah, just after the sounding of the shofar, soldiers rushed into the synagogue and dragged them all away. They were cast into a prison cell, where Rabbi Simeon continued to lead the prayers by heart. Solomon would have been terrified if he hadn’s seen how calm his father remained.
None of them slept that night. Even though Rosh ha-Shanah had ended, they stayed awake, praying. The cell was very dark, with only one high window. But at dawn it let a little sunlight in. When Rabbi Simeon saw it, he said, “Have faith, my brothers. For just as there is a bit of light, so there is hope, and I feel that God has heard our prayers and will protect us.”
The guard overheard them and laughed. “You think you have hope. You have just three days to live. Then you die. Let’s see what your God does for you then.”
Rabbi Simeon saw how frightened they were. So he turned to Solomon and said, “Won’t you help us pass the time? Why don’t you draw one of those ships you do so well?”
Solomon couldn’t believe his ears. His father was asking him to draw? Solomon felt in his pocket and pulled out his last piece of chalk. When he looked up, he though he saw a hint of a smle on his father’s face.
Solomon remembered all the ships he had watched from the shore, and he began to draw the one he thought was the most beautiful on the sunlit wall. The wind he drew filled the great sails, and he added barrels of wine and bushels of wheat.
Solomon’s father and the other men watched him draw until the sun set and the prison cell was enveloped in darkness. Then they began to pray to God to save them. Once again, they prayed all night.
The next day, Solomon continued to work on his drawing. Little by little he finished every detail of the ship, and then he drew the sea around it. The waves looked as if they might spill right off the wall and splash onto the floor.
The picture seemed finished, but Solomon didn’t want to stop. His father suggested that he draw the two of them, there on the deck. This Solomon did, and all the men marveled at the fine resemblances. Then the second day in prison ended, and again they prayed throughout the night.
When the sun rose on the third day, one of the men asked Solomon to draw him on the ship, too. “For I would like to be with you.” And one by one, the others made the same request. But when darkness fell, Solomon had not yet finished drawing the last man.
That night they prayed to God with all their hearts, for they knew the execution was set for sunrise the next day. All of the men shook with fear, except for Rabbi Simeon. Solomon took strength from his father, and he, too, remained unafraid.
As soon as the first light of dawn came through the window, Solomon took out his chalk and quickly finished drawing the last man.
Just as he drew the final line, he heard keys jangling. The soldiers were coming to unlock the door to their cell. Then Solomon and all the men would be taken to the courtyard for their execution.
Solomon turned to his father and saw that he was deep in prayer. And, at that very moment, he heard his father pronounce God’s secret name out loud.
Suddenly Solomon could not hear the guards in the hallway, and when he looked down, he saw that he was standing on the deck of the beautiful ship he had drawn on the prison wall.
His father and all the other men in the picture were with him, safely aboard a real ship floating on a real sea. The sails strained against the wind, just as they had in Solomon’s drawing, and the ship sped away from danger.
All the Jews from the prison rejoiced with Solomon and his father- for they knew they were aboard a ship of miracles, on their way to freedom. They would never forget that Rosh ha-Shanah when God had seen fit to save them.
-The Balkans: oral tradition.
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HIGHLIGHTS magazine offers some online craft activities designed especially for right now.
You can make this a "green" project by using newsprint or other paper for recycling.
Or try this stamped Rosh Hashanah card. It's made with an apple for a delightfully different design.
For another craft of the season, try making a SPIDER from my website in the KIDS section. Or one of the Halloween games.
Or if you want more fun and games, visit HIGHLIGHTS Games and Giggles.
Kyra, age 8, from Florida sent in this joke:
What's green and oinks?
Kermit the Hog!
Send me your favorite joke, and I'll share it here. Have a hoppy day!
Action on the floor, Originally uploaded to Flickr by wkpspier
SHOW NOTES:
What's new in Jewish picture books? Follow me around the 2008 Book Expo America conference to listen in on publishers and authors talking about their new and forthcoming titles! I gathered so much audio that I'll be posting it over four episodes. Part 2 will be books for children and teens, Part 3 will be adult books, and Part 4 will be books (for all ages) relating to the Holocaust.
Part 1, Jewish Picture Books:
Tricycle Press
The Yankee at the Seder by Elka Weber
Marshall Cavendish
Cakes and Miracles by Barbara Diamond Goldin
The Hanukkah Mice by Steven Kroll
The Rabbi and the 29 Witches by Marilyn Hirsh
Tanglewood Press
The Miracle Jar by Audrey Penn
Sleeping Bear Press
A is for Abraham by Richard Michelson
Kar-Ben Publishing
Jodie's Hanukkah Dig by Anna Levine
Harvest of Light by Allison Ofanansky
Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride by Deborah Bodin Cohen
Sammy Spider's First Day at School by Sylvia Rouss
Sarah Laughs, Benjamin and the Silver Goblet, Miriam in the Desert by Jacqueline Jules
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Built By Angels by Mark Podwal
Blue Apple Books
Hanukkah Haiku by Harriet Ziefert
Holiday House
The Mysterious Guests by Eric Kimmel
Yale Strom, author:
The Wedding That Saved a Town by Yale Strom (Kar-Ben)
AUDIO:
Click the play button on this flash player to listen to the podcast now:
Or click MP3 File to start your computer's media player.
CREDITS:
Thanks to Yale Strom for permission to record and podcast his violin performance at Book Expo. Our regular background music is provided by The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band.
Books mentioned on the show may be borrowed from the Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel. (Or if they're too new to be in the library now, they will be once they are published!) Browse our online catalog to reserve books, post a review, or just to look around!
Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to [email protected]! Or even better, if you know of any new Jewish picture books I missed seeing at Book Expo, please post a comment!
By:
Paula Pertile,
on 2/13/2008
Blog:
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I like this! This is Coloursoft's "brown black" color. Its almost as soft as the Derwent Drawing pencil, but noooooot quiiiiite. Close though.
They're still not Polychromos, but they're pretty good.
And I like this color. I want to do a couple more then do a final "side by side" thing to compare.
I sure wish I had my CPSA lightfast book so I'd know which ones were lightfast. If anyone who does know wants to tell me, I'm all ears (thanks to Katherine I already know the Poly black is good, which is a relief). I have a feeling most or all of these muted colors will be OK. Notice though I'm not testing Graphitints because somewhere I heard they were fugitive. Again, if anyone knows for sure and feels like sharing...
To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.
By:
Paula Pertile,
on 2/4/2008
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I know I said I was going to do black and whites. And I am! I just had to do this first.
Yesterday was such a contrast to the day before, with the terrible storm and wind and rain and all. The sky was blue, and there were these amazing gigantic fluffy clouds all over. They were still kind of ominous, with grey underbellies, but they also had the most beautiful pinks and lavender colors in them. I just had to do a little piece about them. Or try, anyway.
I don't do as well with pastelly colors for some reason. It probably looks OK to you, but I fussed with it a lot. I'm not a pastel person. I like grey and taupe and black and cream and olive and plum and...well, you get the idea. Even as a kid. (Although I was forced to have a pink bedroom. Well, at least until I got up the nerve to ask my parents to let me paint one wall blue-violet (the rest was white) which they thought was the height of teenage rebellion, and which they also thought gave them lots of "cool" points for allowing me to do. Enough said.)
Anyway, this is my little homage to the "post-storm sky".
And I find that the Polychromos work well with just about every other type of pencil. I like to start with the Coloursofts or Graphitints and then do some Polychromo on top.
To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.
By:
Paula Pertile,
on 2/2/2008
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There's a stand of Italian Cypress tress in the yard behind me. All Winter I've been watching them bend and sway in the wind. Its kind of mesmerizing some days, others its scary. So anyways, I finally decided to use them as inspiration for a yarn piece.
I started with Graphitints then filled in more with Polychromos. I like using the two together.
This last week I didn't get much done. Well, I did, but it was nothing I could blog about. And I didn't have time to do any yarn. Or anything else for myself. I was cranky!
Next up is a series of tests about "black and white", or more specifically, "monochromatic" pieces, done with different greys, sepias, blacks etc. I'm doing a piece that will be in black and white, but want to warm it up some. I'm not sure I want to use sepia. I know the Polychromo "soft blacks" are impossible to find now, so that's out. I love my usual Polychromo regular black (like the yarn in the last post), but its a very cold black. I just want to explore some options. So hopefully in the next couple of days I'll have something to show.
Stay tuned!
To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.
Polychromo colored pencils on illustration board.
An oldie but goodie. All Stockinette Stitch.
I'm trying to get myself participating in Illustration Friday, 'cause all the cool kids are. But I can't seem to find the time to do anything new. At least not yet. So this is my offering, and forgive me if you've seen it before.
I think its interesting to see how colorful this is compared to some of the yarn pieces I've been doing lately. I'm using the muted Graphtitints more, and I'm also not burnishing so much so my technique has changed too. Have I evolved? Hmmm. Jury's out on that one I think.
Graphitints
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Not as bad a day, although its still raining a lot. The sun came out just long enough this morning for everyone to go out and assess the damage and do some cleaning up (and I found it interesting to see who did do cleaning up, and who just left everything, either hoping it would just blow on down to the next yard in the next storm, or maybe they just don't care and will only deal with it when they really have to).
My gardener galloped up on his white horse to check out my fence (poor guy, he didn't have power for 18 hours). Until it gets fixed, the cats are having a blast pussy footing around in newly unexplored territory (the yards behind me). Don't you wish we could do that? Just hop the fence into other people's yards and have a look around? Cats have absolutely no boundaries. They just go wherever.
One day a little girl on my street was walking by and my Charlie was out front. She says to her friend "Oh look, there's Sanford! He sleeps in my backyard all the time", and started calling "Sanford, c'mere Sanford!" and of course Charlie ignored her, but I thought it was funny that he hangs out in this other yard enough for her to have given him a name.
Boy. If there was ever a day for Graphitints, this is it. We are having a STORM.
If you look out the window you will see cows and chickens and Elvira Gulch on her bicycle flying by. That's how windy it is. No power, downed trees (not mine, thankfully), downed fences (a good chunk of mine in the back oh boy), the whole shebang.
I tried to render some of this after the power went out by dim window light, but gave up. I had to go out (!!!!) because someone I will not name just couldn't miss her hairdo appointment even though they'd called and told her they didn't have power (which meant she just had a 're-comb' and spray) and that's all I'll say about that.
(And did you know that if you have a garage door opener and the power goes out and you can't get the door to open manually and you think you're trapped in your garage, all you have to do is pull the cord overhead and you will then magically be able to open the door after all? I didn't, until a chance phone call with my art director in Chicago enlightened me.)
When I came home from my "outing", the lights were back on here so I felt a little better. I was able to finish this, and here I am.
Its on ebay.
SOLD
Happy New Year everyone!
This one is all Polychromos. I purposely put away the Graphitints, just to get away from so much 'dark', as much as I love it. I thought I'd do a little more color, and was thinking about attracting health, prosperity, all those good things for the new year.
I was conflicted though, and kept wanting to mute it all back down, then bump the color back up, then go back down again. It started in black, then a I added the colors, then some grey to tone it down, then more color, etc. back and forth.
I shouldn't think so much.
There is a pale grey background to reflect winter and cold, but the color is the promise of new growth (in many areas).
Its on ebay.
I hope this will be a really good year for all of us!!!
#2. Also Graphitints on illustration board.
Another grey drizzly day with muted foliage.
I'm just playing with the design of the yarn, trying not to overthink it. I just lay out what comes to me, then pick the colors that feel right.
I've been doing all regular 4ply yarn, but would like to try doing some specialty yarns. I have so many that are fat and thin together, or variegated in color, etc.
This is in my ebay store too. Slowly but surely the inventory will grow...
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Back to some art. Boy it feels good to just sit and fiddle with my colored pencils.
This was done with Derwent Graphitints, NOT Polychromos (GASP!).
I was trying to capture the mood of the day, mostly the weather. It was just grey grey grey, drizzly and cold, with muted plant colors and lawn and trees. It also reflects how I feel, kind of.
The holiday is over, its time to do year-end reflecting, all that stuff. I was also sad today because I learned my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Talbot, who I ADORED, passed away a few days ago.
I did this on illustration board like I usually do. But instead of leaving the background the 'board white' I did a very fine layer of grey.
I love these Graphitints (the image in my logo was done with these as well). They're really just tinted graphite, and the colors are so muted. I used Cloud Gray, Steel Blue, Shadow and Juniper.
I want to start framing some of these little pieces, and am using this cool place online to test framing ideas. I kinda like this:
It would cost $25 to do. Not sure if that's good or not. I guess so, considering its custom. Now if I can figure out how to add it to my ebay listing... (oh, did I mention, I put this in my ebay shop which I emptied out after Christmas and am now starting to restock).
I would love to do one of these a day, or every few days or something, like a journal. I know I won't be able to, but wouldn't that be cool? If they only took 20 minutes, sure, but they take a couple of hours. Well, maybe I'll try to at least do one a week. We'll see.
I'm babbling...
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I’d say Lois Lowry and Beverly Cleary both belong on the Top 10 Children’s Literature Rock Stars list.
As do James Marshall, Walter Dean Myers, Dr. Seuss and Mo Willems.
moda|sminka|lepota|fotografije|slike|klipovi|besplatner sms|besplatne poruke|…
[...]Fusenews: Just me and my ginormous head « A Fuse #8 Production[...]…
What they said (Kristi’s answers were the first that came to my mind, too). Also Judy Blume. I’m not even a huge Judy Blume fan, but she certainly belongs on such a list.
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We plan to have our Little Free Library in the ground in front of our house by this weekend! We’re near Madison, where there are already a gazillion, but it’s still very exciting.
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Lois Lenski, Wilson Rawls, Richard Paul Curtis
Did no one mention Eric Carl? And I’ve read 3 of Alan Garner’s books and they’re very good. And Enid Blyton is very popular in countries associated with England. One of our volunteers grew up in Canada and she said that all girls read Enid Blyton back in the day. But the only Jackie Wilson this American ever heard of sang “Lonely Teardrops.”
How about Robert Lawson for having both a Newbery and a Caldecott?
Dame Jaqueline Wilson visited our elementary school about five years ago and charmed boys and girls alike. We own fifteen of her fiction titles as well as her biography, Jackie Daydream. I can’t keep her books on the shelves!