By the end of December, I was thinking, “Oh well, it won’t be the 2009 Catalog of Books.” In January it was “I will never finish this.”  However, in February, as I began to see some light shining at the end of this very long tunnel, I knew that I would find a stopping point. Not an end point mind you, a stopping point, because even as I  write this there is a pile of books sitting on the floor of my office that I need to read and review, publishers are printing and sending out new books for consideration, editors are preparing new materials for production and authors and illustrators are working at their craft to bring us their latest creative ideas.

I look forward to reading, reviewing and bringing them all to you in updates and new editions to the forwordsbooks Catalog of Books. I can assure you, it will not be ten years and six months before you hear from me again.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

However, because  “out of print” no longer means “not available for purchase” these days, I wanted to talk about my favorite Queen Esther books that are still on my book shelf at home. You still might be able to find them online at abebooks.com, alibris.com or any other internet used book website. Better still, check them out of your local or synagogue library.

Esther’s Story by Diane Wolkstein. Illustrated by Juan Wijngaard. ©1996, William Morrow & Company.  Ages 6-11.  Of all the Queen Esther books, this is my favorite. Written in the form of Esther’s diary, this is the Purim story as Esther saw it,  lived it and felt it.  It starts with Esther writing as a young orphaned girl, trusting in her Uncle Mordecai when he changes her name from Hadassah to Esther. Missing him when she is sent to the palace as a possible queen for King Ahasuerus. Maturing as she becomes queen and learns about palace intrigue and finally must put her own life on the line to save the lives of her people. The powerful and emotional text is accompanied by exquisitely detailed, rich gouache paintings.  The text is fairly true to the Megillah.

Queen Esther Saves Her People retold by Rita Golden Gelman. Illustrated by Frané Lessac. ©1998, Scholastic Press. This version of Queen Esther’s story pretty much sticks to the one told in the Megillah, with a few midrashic elements slipped in along the way just to make things interesting, for example, King Ahasuerus is portrayed as a drunk, gambling, moron in this adaptation.   The primitive-style gouache paintings are colorful, dramatic and use clever details to engage the reader with the story. The Purim Notebook in the back of the book provides an excellent overview of the holiday and its traditions.

Queen Esther, the Morning Star written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. ©2000, Simon & Schuster. Of the three Queen Esther stories I am presenting here, this one least sticks to the script. However, when Mordicai Gerstein is involved, who wants a script? This is a midrash about Queen Esther, and it is a good one. The story unfolds with all its up and downs, ins and outs, joys and sorrows. Perhaps an event here or there does not occur at exactly the same moment or in exactly the same way that it might have in the Megillah, oh well.   What is a dragon or two, an angel here or there where midrash is concerned? The point of the story is the same: Esther goes to the palace – Haman plots to kill the Jews – Mordecai informs Esther of the plot – Esther saves the Jews – Haman dies – everyone celebrates. The best part of this book is the illustrations. Again gouache paintings in Mordicai Gerstein’s unique style – colorful, dramatic, magical.

There you have it, three wonderful Queen Esther books for the Purim holiday.  Please go find one and check it out over the weekend, maybe you can make your Purim costume based on some of the illustrations.   Hag Sameach/Happy Holiday!

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

Text © 1984, Barbara Cohen. Illustrations © 1998 UAHC Press.

All the Jews living in the Prague ghetto hear the announcement, “the Purim Players are coming!” A troupe of excellent entertainers has come to share a Purim Shpiel with the entire town. As they entertain with their interpretation of the Book of Esther, the crowd merrily joins in, booing and hissing at the evil Haman, cheering and clapping for the heroic Mordecai and Esther. When at last the play is finished, the players receive their rewards of coins, all in attendance enjoy a Purim feast and singing and dancing last well into the night.

Barbara Cohen’s (z’l) works are always excellent and lasting. Her rendition of the Esther story, as a play performed for the villagers of Prague, could not be finer. The inclusion of the crowd’s participation throughout provides the perfect counterpoint to her version of the story.  No doubt, their commentary will engender many a laugh during a read aloud. The illustrations are beautiful, soft and appealing. You want to join this merry band of players and their audience yourself.

Grade Level: K-3

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were from my personal 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.

© 2005, KarBen Publishing, Inc.

The little preschool shana punim return to celebrate Purim in their classroom.  They dress up in costume, have hamentashen for their snack and deliver shalach manot to the preschool staff. While listening to their teacher read the Megillah, they shake their hand-made groggers so loud the name of Haman is blotted out entirely. These kids really know how to party!

Instructions for making recyclable Purim groggers using aluminum cans and birdseed are in the back of the book.

Grade Level: PreK-1

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were borrowed from my local 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.

© 2004, Clarion Books.

A little bear cub wakes up from his winter’s nap and finds he is starving. Not wanting to wake up his mother, he leaves the den to search for food. At the edge of the forest he smells a tasty aroma and sees a crowd of people entering a building while carrying plates of food – it’s a Purim Party!  He wanders over and manages to get inside because his “bear costume” has almost everyone thinking he is the tailor.

Greedily, he helps himself to every delicious morsel on the table. When at last he is satisfied, he sits down for a quiet little nap. When it is time for dancing, they want the “tailor” to join in. Even though Itzik tries to tell everyone it is a real bear, no one believes him. When they push too hard, though, the little bear wakes up, and everyone sees that Itzik was right!

While a bit wordy, this is a delightful story that little ones will love because in the end, it was the youngest child who knew the truth all along. The illustrations are charming and portray the happiness and love of a community getting together to celebrate the joyful Purim holiday.

Grade Level: PreK-2

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were borrowed from my local 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.

© 2004, KarBen Publishing, Inc.

Naomi is sure that her mother has forgotten her seventh birthday. After all, they just moved into their new home, her birthday and Purim are three days away and instead of unpacking boxes, they have been baking Hamantashen and putting together Shalach Manot baskets for people they don’t even know. To make matters worse, her mother is making Naomi deliver the baskets to all their neighbors!

What Naomi doesn’t know is that her mother has included an invitation to a surprise Purim/birthday party for Naomi in each of the baskets. Naomi is in for a big treat and doesn’t even know it.

While a bit wordy, this is a lovely story about being a stranger in a strange land and reaching out to a new community. The illustrations are beautiful, what looks to be, colored pencil drawings. There is a glossary in the back explaining Purim terms.

Grade Level: PreK-3

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were borrowed from my local 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.

In February, we celebrate President’s day, the holiday that combines Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday. When I was growing up (or back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, as my kids would say), we celebrated both those holidays. I listened to stories about George Washington admitting to chopping down the cherry tree and Honest Abe studying by the fireplace. It was clear – through those stories – that telling the truth would get us ahead in this world.

We are also in the Hebrew month of Adar, the month when we celebrate the holiday of Purim. On 14 Adar, which begins at sundown on February 27, we start our Purim celebration with the reading of the Megillat Esther, The Book of Esther. The Book of Esther is full of palace intrigue and mystery. There are many secrets, slights and lies, all leading to misunderstandings, mistakes and apprehension. When the truth comes out, it makes for quite an impressive story.  The story of Esther, Mordechai and Hamen cleverly teaches us that truth wins out in the end.

To honor this month’s “Heroes of Truth,” I have selected some of my favorite “telling the truth-themed” books to share with you:

The Empty Pot adapted and illustrated by Demi. Henry Holt & Company, 1996. Ages 4-8. 32 pages. Ping has a Green Thumb. When the Emperor decides that his successor will be the child who can grow the best plant from the seeds the emperor provides, Ping is sure he will be the winner.  However, in spite of his best efforts, Ping’s seeds do not grow. Disappointed but proud of his attempt, Ping goes to the Emperor with his empty pot. Ignoring the pots filled with gorgeous flowers and overflowing plants, the Emperor chooses Ping to be his successor, stating that the seeds he handed out were boiled and nothing should have grown.  The exquisite illustrations mimic round Chinese fans and beautifully support the simple yet powerful story.

The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson. Illustrated by Virginia Burton. Houghton Mifflin, 1977. Ages 4-8.  48 pages.  The classic story about the sovereign who, thinking more about his wardrobe than about his kingdom, spends more time in the day changing clothes than listening to his people. When two thieves offer him the opportunity to have an outfit made out of cloth that “could not be seen by anyone unfit for the office he held or was very stupid,” he jumps at the chance. Providing them with anything they want – jewels, coins, gold – they begin “weaving” the cloth. Seeing nothing, but not wanting to seem incompetent or stupid, every trusted person the king sends to review the progress reports back that the cloth is gorgeous. When the suit is ready and the king parades through the town in his “new suit,” it takes a child to point out the truth – “The king is not wearing any clothes!”  This version illustrated by Virginia Burton is absolutely classic in every detail.

The Principal’s New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson. Illustrated by Denise Brunkus. Scholastic. Ages 4-8. 40 pages. There are many adaptations of Hans Christians Anderson’s story. Some have different illustrators, some put a slightly different twist to the story. In this version, a couple of con artists visit a snappily dressed school principal.  They explain they will provide him with a suit that will be “invisible to anyone who is no good at his job or just plain stupid.” It takes a kindergarten child to point out what everyone clearly sees, but is unwilling to report – “The principal’s in his underwear!”

Wolf! Wolf! Adapted and illustrated by John Rocco. Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. Ages 4-8. 32 pages. There are also many versions of the Aesop’s fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Here, an old wolf, “too slow…and too stiff” for chasing the small animals he likes, is trying to grow a vegetable garden. Alas, all he is getting is weeds.   Hearing a boy’s voice calling, “Wolf! Wolf!” He slowly climbs to the meadow to check it out. Sitting behind some rocks, he watches a young boy play his “trick” with the adults.  He yells, “Wolf!” The adults run up the hill to help. The boy laughs at their funny looks when he tells them there is no wolf, he is just playing a joke on them. At last, the boy yells, “Wolf!” However, no adults respond. Instead, the wolf comes out from hiding and makes a deal with the terrified boy who will no doubt tell the truth from now on. The twist at the end of the story is sure to delight everyone, as will the beautiful, richly colored illustrations. .

The Honest-to-Goodness Truth by Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by Giselle Potter. Simon & Schuster, 2000. Ages 5-9. 36 pages.  Are there a right and a wrong way to tell the truth? Libby Louise Sullivan is about to find out. When Libby tells her mother a small white lie, she gets in some big trouble. She decides she will only tell the truth from that moment on. By the end of the week, she had told so many truths – like Ruthie Mae had a hole in her sock, Willie had not done his geography homework and Miz Tusselbury’s garden looked like a jungle – she had no friends left. Boy was she confused! When someone called Ol’ Boss, Libby’s aged carriage horse, an “old flea-ridden swayback,” she finally got it…and spent some time apologizing to her friends for being a little too truthful. This is a fun, engaging story with primitive-style illustrations.

Holes by Louis Sachar.  Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1998. Ages 9-12. 233 pages. This Newbery Medal and National Book Award winner is for older kids, but younger children may also enjoy it as a read-aloud. There are many stories in this amazing book, but among them is the story of Camp Green Lake, the juvenile detention center, where Stanley Yelnats and the other children are sent to dig their holes. What is the truth of the camp? Why are they really digging all of those holes? Stanley is in search of the truth, and it is quite an adventure.

Nothing but the Truth by Avi. Scholastic, 1991. Ages 9-12. 208 pages. Philip Malloy wants to run on the track team. He is not doing well in English. His English teacher is also his Homeroom teacher. Feeling she has it “out for him” and looking to find a way to get away from her, he comes up with a plan.  The school policy is to “stand at respectful silent attention” as the national anthem is played over the loud speaker during Homeroom. Philip Malloy stands and hums. This book, written in a documentary style format, demonstrates how a small act turns into a national debate on Freedom of Speech, individual rights and how society determines “the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

I hope you find these books helpful in your efforts to teach your children the importance of being honest and truthful. After all, Pirke Avot, the Sayings of the Fathers, informs us that “Rabbi Simeon, son of Gamliel, said: ‘On three things the world stands: on Justice, on Truth and on Peace…’ (Pirke Avot 1:18), so telling the truth is no small thing.

I wish you a Hag Sameach- Happy Holiday! May your Purim be filled with colorful costumes, noisy groggers, tasty hamentashen and lots of joy.

Happy Reading!

Kathy B.

This post is linked to the Kidlitosphere’s February Carnival of Children’s Literature, hosted this month at Ye Olde Blog – Whispers of Dawn. Visit for an excellent list of author interviews, book reviews and more.

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved. Books used in this review were borrowed from my local library or my personal collection.
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.

© 2000, Lee & Low Books.

During the Gold Rush of the 1850’s, Rosabel and Sophie are best friends because they are both outsiders.  Rosabel is African American and Sophie is Jewish. A PJ Library book.

Grade Level: K- 3rd

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by the publishers cited.
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.

It is 1947, Joey Sexton’s white, Jewish mother has died and he finds out that his black father is also dead. The only family that will take him are his maternal grandfather and aunt who live together in Brooklyn.

As Joey struggles to make friends with the other children in the neighborhood, his cousin Roberta (known as Bobbie) befriends him and takes his side as often as she can. Joey’s Zayde (grandfather) is angry that Joey’s mother ran away from home and married someone who was not white and not Jewish. His grandfather is determined to bring Joey into line so as not to lose him as he lost Joey’s mother.  The struggle between Joey and his grandfather is compelling and makes for a fine and intense read.

While Jackie Robinson, a Brooklyn Dodger rookie, is trying to break sport’s color-barrier, Joey, a half-white half-black child, also struggles to find his place in the world.  He roots for the Yankees, defends his mother when neighborhood women talk about her badly and argues with his grandfather at every opportunity.  At times, it feels he will never succeed in staying with this warm, loving family. However, through all the arguing, he and his grandfather find a way to make peace with each other.

The Jewish content of this book is excellent, from Shabbos dinner to saying kaddish, many Jewish traditions are described and we read about their celebration. The feelings and discussions that are in the story are written in a way to make the reader empathize with every character, whether it be Joey hearing bad things about his mom or his grandfather wondering how to raise him properly. Boys will love this book as it portrays baseball as America’s favorite past time and the play-by-play allows one to picture the games as they are played. Bobbie, a tomboy, is thoroughly accepted by her family and as a result thoroughly accepts Joey.   Joey’s aunt loves Joey and does everything she can to make him feel welcome. What she cannot do is override her father. She believes it is up to Joey and his Zayde to work their issues out with one another.

Grade Level: 4th – 9th

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by the publishers cited.
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.

I spent my weekend at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference in Boston. My “job” was to walk around the Exhibit Hall and find the publisher’s who had Sydney Taylor Award Winners, Honor Books and Notable books and bring them congratulations and mazel tovs on behalf of the Association of Jewish Libraries and the Sydney Taylor Award Committee and also provide them with gold and silver seals for the winning books.  It was very exciting to meet the publishers and some of the editors responsible for these excellent books. Even more exciting, I got to tell them a bit about forwordsbooks and what I do.  Call me crazy, but I love publishers and exhibit halls. I have a stack of books at home that I am so looking forward to telling you about.

On Saturday evening, I joined up with the ALATweetup and met a number of interesting people from the kidlitosphere, kidlit publishing and children’s magazines.  I will admit, I went out of my way to say hello to Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy, who I consider a STAR of the kidlitosphere.  We all have a right to our idols. Well, she is one of mine.  As always, Ms. Burns was gracious. I felt my Tweetup was well spent.

Immediately following,  I headed over the bridge to the Boston World Trade Center to listen to Brian Stokes Mitchell talk about the new book he worked on with Harriet Ziefert called Lights on Broadway from Blue Apple Press.  He sang two songs and let me tell you, this man has a gift from God.  When you hear someone refer to their voice as their instrument – this is what they are talking about.  I would have sat in that chair in that hotel conference room all night and listened to that man sing whatever he wanted. There was no theater orchestra, professional sound system, Broadway stage lighting, nothing.  Just “Stokes” (as everyone was calling him), a cordless microphone and a piano player.  Thank you very much…I was in heaven.

What could be better than that? Listening to him describe sitting in his public library as a kid, checking out every Broadway musical in the collection and sitting in a special room they had listening to the music. Hearing him describe librarians as his heroes. Watching him clap and bow to the librarians in the room.  All followed by his taking the time to have his picture taken, shaking hands, hugging and providing autographs for anyone who asked. We have a word for this – Mensch.

I was not able to attend the Awards Ceremony on Monday morning, but I did view the recording of the event.  How very exciting.  I was happy to see that on of our Sydney Taylor Honor Books, A Faraway Island by Annika Thor was awarded the Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English.  I was also excited that Jerry Pinkney’s The Lion & the Mouse won the Caldecott Award having seen him discuss the book at the School Library Journal Day of Dialogue last May.  As for all the rest of the award winners, let’s just say I have a lot of reading to do!

And now I am in Southern California, as I said, battling a rainstorm of “Biblical” proportions.  I am way behind in my Comment Challenge activities, but hope to catch up in the next couple of days.  I will keep you posted. Until then,

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.