Archive for the ‘Jewish Prayer’ Category
Who Has Such Things in This World
02/09/11
Snow, everywhere I look I see snow, piles and mountains of snow. When it has not been snowing, it is cold – Freezing cold, in the 5s, 10s, 20s and 30s cold. One morning I got in my car and the thermometer read “0″ – Z.E.R.O. Now I know there are parts of the country, and the world for that matter, where these temperatures would feel balmy, but for this transplanted California girl, enough is enough. I have really had it with snow and cold and winter.
Yet there are moments when I look out my office window to my back yard and see a vast sea of whiteness that simply takes my breath away. How beautiful is that? I think to myself. Or when I watch snow falling, little puffs of white floating down from on high, that I still think of as a miracle. Or as I am out walking during a snow fall, and the temperature is just right so that individual snowflakes drop on my parka, and I see each one is unique and beautiful. Amazing, I think.
I could not find a Hebrew blessing for snow. What I use is the blessing for nature’s beauty, because no matter what, there is real beauty in watching the snow fall.
Baruch attah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam,
shekachah lo b’olamo.
Blessed are You, Creator of the Universe,
Who has things such as this in Your world.
There are a few wonderful books about snow that I have found to be interesting and enlightening in my own search for knowledge about this wondrous experience. You might want to share them with your children:
Snow written and illustrated by Uri Schulevitz. ©1998, Farrar Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers. First a single snowflake falls from the sky, then two, then three. All the while, a young boy and his dog know it is snowing. The adults, the radio and the television all insist, “No snow.” When all the rooftops are white, the boy and his dog run out to play, while everyone else takes shelter. The illustrations are sublime. Ages 4-8.
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. ©1998, Houghton Mifflin Company. Winner of the Caldecott Medal. The first time a real snowflake – and another and another – landed on my coat and I saw that indeed each one was unique and exquisite, I said the Shehecheyanu Blessing: Thank you God for letting me live to see this moment. The next thing I did was find a copy of this book. Wilson Bentley lived his life studying snowflakes. This beautifully illustrated and marvelously written book explains why. However, if you stand outside during a snowfall and look at the snowflakes that land on your coat, you will understand. Ages 5-10.
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino with John Nelson, Ph.D. ©2009, Chronicle Books. This exceptional, award-winning science book explains exactly how snow crystals are made, the different shapes they can grow in (stars, plates and columns) and whether they are truly unique. There are also tips for catching and studying snow crystals on your own. The illustrations are mostly photographs of actual snow crystals. Ages 5-10.
Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart. Illustrated by Constance R. Bergum. ©2009, Peachtree Publishers. When I have absolutely reached my limit with winter, wondering what I am doing in the frozen Northeast, I say to my husband, “Animals hibernate in this weather!” This is exactly the book I need to prove my position. With simple text and gorgeous illustrations, we can see that animals do know how to handle the cold better than we do – they just sleep through it! I particularly love the woodchuck because it “sleeps soundly all winter” getting “all the energy it needs from its thick layer of fat.” Perhaps I just need to sleep more? Ages 4-9.
Perhaps it is wishful thinking on my part to believe that writing about snow will put an end to the fierce winter we have had so far this year. A California Girl can hope, can’t she? Nevertheless, if another snowstorm, or two, or…comes our way before winter’s end, I will be prepared with books and blessings.
Happy Readings,
Kathy B.
©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by my local public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,
I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.
What About the Rest? Part I: Jewish Books for Younger Readers
12/29/10
Having selected my three top choices for the best Jewish children’s books for 2010: The Rooster Prince of Breslov, Hereville and Life, After, I am feeling a bit guilty about the books I left on the table. Those books that were also great but a choice had to be made, so some excellent books are just sitting here. My list of good Jewish books for 2010 is quite long. In fact, I will add many 2010 books to the forwordsbooks Catalog of Books. Nevertheless, I will follow my rule and go with the standouts – those books I remember and will recommend from the stacks of books I read this year – in choosing titles for my “pretty close to best” list. In keeping with models I have seen elsewhere, I have chosen an additional seven titles, making my list a nice round 10 for 2010.
Jewish Books for Younger Readers (Picture Books)
My problem is I rarely read a children’s picture book I don’t like in some way (unless there is some human-animal conversation in a non-fantasy based story book.) I will admit, however, to being bored reading the same themes in many Jewish picture books, particularly Jewish holidays, Bible stories and the Jewish immigrant experience. That being said, even those subjects can be brought to life in new and creative ways by a talented author and/or illustrator.
After The Rooster Prince of Breslov, which I will continue to say blew me out of the water, there were three additional books for younger readers that really stood out for me this year:
Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Claire A. Nivola. Ages 5-10. ©2010, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. “Give me your tired, your poor,/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” ~ from The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus ~ Having learned these words by heart in elementary school, I realized reading this marvelous book how much I did not know about the poem, its author and the times in which she lived. Emma Lazarus was able to become the voice of the Statue of Liberty because she met and supported the immigrants that came through New York. The watercolor and gouache illustrations accompanying the simple but powerful text are outstanding and highly reflective of early 19th century artwork.
Jackie’s Gift by Sharon Robinson. Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. ©2010, Viking. Ages 4-8. I am always in search of books about about interfaith relations, the December Dilemma, sharing holidays (not combining holidays) and the like, and while this book may not exactly be in that category, it is currently the closest thing we have been offered this year. The great Jackie Robinson is moving two houses down from young baseball fan, Steve Satlow, who could not be happier. While some of his neighbors are angry that an African-American family is moving into the neighborhood, Steve and his Jewish-American family befriend the Robinsons the moment they move in. The new friendship blossoms until Jackie brings a Christmas tree over to the Satlows as a way to thank them for their warm welcome. Once the Robinson’s realize their mistake and the Satlow’s clear any misunderstanding, a family legend is born. This charming story celebrates sharing traditions, fostering real friendship and the true meaning of giving.
Modeh Ani: A Good Morning Book Adapted by Sarah Gershman. Illustrated by Kristina Swarner. ©2010, EKS Publishing Company. Ages 2-8. In this companion volume to their Sydney Taylor Award winning, The Bedtime Shema: A Goodnight Book, Gershman and Swarner once again team up, this time to help us start the day thanking God for the gifts that surround us. Using simple language and soft, brightly colored illustrations, they set the tone for a day filled with wonder and gratitude. Excerpts from the traditional Morning Blessing prayers in Hebrew and English translation are provided in the back of the book along with an explanation of how to incorporate the Modeh Ani into your daily living. Couple this with All of Me! A Book of Thanks by Molly Bang and your family’s day will start off great.
Those are my picks for “pretty close to best” 2010 Jewish Books for Young Readers. Tomorrow, What About the Rest? Part II: “pretty close to best” Books for Older Readers (Middle Grades).
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by my own collection or my local public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,
I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.
Book Review | Psalms for Young Children
by Marie-Helene Delval
Score: 4
Illustrated byArno © 2008, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. This is a beautiful way to introduce young children to the Book of Psalms. The Psalms themselves have been well-adapted using language and concepts that children can understand. The accompanying illustrations are quite beautiful and assist in defining the meaning of the text. I always search [...]
