Time to dance and sing again, dear friends! It’s time to welcome another new book to the world…a world that needs books like this more than ever before.
Happy Book Birthday: Call Me Gebyanesh Plus Book Giveaway
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Category Archives: book giveaway
Perfect Picture Book Friday: SHARING SHALOM Plus Giveaway
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! Today’s featured book is a recent addition to bookstore and library bookshelves…it launched in September and we were supposed to celebrate HERE with a Book Birthday post…but because of my eye surgery and slow-healing eyes, I had to step back…and author Danielle Sharkqn has been waiting patiently. Thank you so much, Danielle, for your wonderful understanding. And also for offering a GIVEAWAY of a copy of the book. So, dear readers, please make sure you leave a comment and share the post on your social media for extra chances in the giveaway hat.
SAVING SHALOM
Written by Danielle Sharkan
Illustrated by Selina Alko
Published by Holiday House (September 2024)
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Jewish culture, racism, friendship
Synopsis: From Amazon:
A girl’s community joins hands to fight intolerance in this richly illustrated picture book that sings with hope for young readers.
Leila loves going to Hebrew school and hearing stories of mighty kings and quick-witted queens. Being Jewish is a part of her story, and learning Hebrew connects her to her ancestors. L’dor V’dor! From one generation to the next!
But when Leila’s synagogue gets vandalized, she isn’t sure what she wants. Something that used to make her feel special now just makes her feel different.
Then Leila’s classmates and community come together to repair the synagogue. This compassionate gesture makes Leila realize that everyone around her is different—and that’s a beautiful thing.
Lyrical text and gorgeous, textured collage art by award-winning illustrator Selina Alko enhance this uplifting story about honoring a diverse community. Back matter provides a springboard for age-appropriate conversations about inclusion and bridge-building between cultures. Perfect for fans of All Are Welcome and The Proudest Blue.
Why I Love This Book
1. I love books that help children feel seen and heard!
2. I love books that are lyrical read-alouds!
3. I love books with illustrations that will keep children engaged from the first page to the last.
SHARING SHALOM has received many fabulous reviews!
“The creators address an act of antisemitism with candor and sensitivity, reassuring readers that one can belong to multiple communities without hiding one’s beliefs or identity.”—Publishers Weekly
“Rendered with sensitivity and colorful, dramatic images, this is a cautionary tale about antisemitism, and a hopeful one about community support.”—Jewish Book Council
“A crucial story for our time. Sharing Shalom is the perfect introduction to the topics of discrimination, othering, and religious-targeted hate. A compelling look at the tendency to hide what makes us different, and a celebration of the people who make it safe to be who we are.” —Elisa Boxer, Sydney Taylor Honor author of Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust
RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Recycled Paper
Celebrate trees on Tu B’Shvat or on any day: Make recycled paper here: https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/tu-bishvat/make-recycled-paper
Here are a couple of links for articles with ways to fight antisemitism
https://www.hadassah.org/story/eight-ways-you-can-fight-antisemitism
https://facultydevelopment.cornell.edu/faculty-development/belonging-and-equity/resources-for-conversations-on-racism-antisemitism-and-islamophobia/resources-for-conversations-on-antisemitism/
https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/resources-address-and-challenge-antisemitism
https://www.weareteachers.com/antisemitism-in-schools/
Dear friends…we can help beautiful important books like SHARING SHALOM become a success. Here’s what we can do:
Review the book
Buy the book
Put the book on your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Share this post on social mediaPerfect
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
Thank you for sharing your precious time with us!
I hope you all have a safe and happy weekend…and as the many holiday of lights approach, I wish you all a New Year filled with light, love, and laughter.
Perfect Picture Book Friday: HANUKKAH HIPPITY-HOP Plus Giveaway
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! We are slipping in a board book this week, but I know you won’t mind because HANUKKAH HIPPITY-HOP is so adorable – and perfect with Hanukkah right around the corner. And we missed celebrating author Barbara Kimmel’s book birthday because I had to step away from blogging for a while. But Barbara kindly stopped by to chat about the book…and she offering a GIVEAWAY…a copy of the book to one lucky winner (U.S. addresses only).
HANUKKAH HIPPITY-HOP
Written by Barbara Kimmel
Illustrated by Ana Zurita
Published by Kar Ben (October 1, 2024)
Ages: 1-4
Themes: Hanukkah,
Synopsis: From Amazon:
Get ready to celebrate―and get your wiggles out―by doing the Hanukkah Hippity-Hop! March like a Maccabee and stomp your feet, then shake like the jelly in a doughnut treat!
This festive and fun rhyming board book invites toddlers to stomp, shake, and spin as they learn about Hanukkah. This joyful book is a wonderful gift that’s sure to become a cherished holiday favorite for children—and their grown-ups!
Why I Love This Book:
1. Joyful rhyming text!
2. Joyful colorful illustrations!
4. Joyful interactive read-aloud!
Here’s some praise from Hornbook:
‘MARCH like a Maccabee—stomping your feet! / SHAKE like the jelly in a doughnut treat.’ This board book dances through the details of Hanukkah, urging young listeners to spin like a dreidel and jump like a latke in a pan. Bold illustrations feature a diverse group of kids (and one mischievous cat) hippity-hopping their holiday hearts out amid Hanukkah treats, decorations, and spinning dreidels. A jaunty introduction to Hanukkah activities for the toddler set.”— The Horn Book Magazine, HOLIDAY HIGH NOTES 2024
We’ll get to the craft activity in a minute, but first I want to welcome Barbara. She’s a member of the #JewishBoardBooks group and is always busy helping spread the word about the importance of board books!
ME: Welcome, Barbara!
BARBARA:
As a new writer, I participated in as many contests as possible to sharpen my skills and connect with the wonderful KidLit community. One of my favorites was your annual “50 Precious Words” challenge. To my surprise, my story placed 5th out of 770 entries the first year I entered, and the following year, I was stunned to place 4th. To stay under 50 words, I wrote short, interactive rhymes—something I had never tried before. Placing in these contests inspired me to keep writing in that format, and the recognition from you and your judges gave me the confidence to stick with my dream of writing for children. Thank you!
ME: WOW! Thank you, Barbara! #50PreciousWords has inspired many writers, I think. And I’m already making plans for the 2025 contest…gathering prizes and I’ll soon be contacting my fabulous judges! By the way, for those of you who want to get a head start…the heads-up post will be up on the blog early in February…and the contest will take place from 12:01am March 2 to 11:59pm March 3.
But back to Hanukkah Hippity-Hop…it’s the perfect gift for little ones who will hold this sturdy book in their hands and will be developing early literacy skills as they turn the pages and focus on the vibrant illustrations!
Please help beautiful books like this succeed…we can:
Buy the book
Review the book
Tell friends about the book (Please share this post on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
And for more about the book and what Barbara is up to, please check out her website:https://barbarakimmelwrites.com/books/hanukkah-hippity-hop/
And here are a few fun crafts to keep the kiddos busy and engaged:
Just hippity-hop over to https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/kids-crafts-to-celebrate-hanukkah-4117938 for dozens of cool Hanukkah crafts for children of all ages!
Thank you for spending your precious time with us…blogging is still a bit frustrating because I’ve been away a while and WordPress seems to have updated things…I wish they would just leave everything the way it was. It seems as if once I learn how to navigate it, they change something and there is a whole new learning curve. Does that happen to you?
Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this wonderful board book…and please share on your social media. I’m on Blue Sky now…are you?
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 