Customer Reviews

The Hardest Word: A Yom Kippur Story

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What an absolutely wonderful book. It is appropriate not only for the holiday of Yom Kippur, but for every day of the year. It transcends religious beliefs, it helps children understand what to do when mistakes are made and reminds parents about forgiveness and how to nurture. Both my husband and I love the story! I just purchased the Noah and Channukah adventures as well. Our child is 5 and frequently asks to read this book.

This book was read during services last week at my mother's synagogue. I immediately asked the rabbi for information, so that I could order my own copy. I know that my daughter will use it when teaching at our religious school, and the book will eventually be given to our children's day school. The story is charming and, while it will captivate little ones, is told well enough to be of interest to those who read it aloud to their children.

This is one of those gems out there that you wish someone had told you about earlier.

I'm a Christian and bought this book to go with a homeschooling curriculum that suggested it for a unit on Jewish holidays. The context of the book is Yom Kippur, which is about repenting and saying you're sorry. But it's kind of a handwaving point, not to be disrespectful. It has a few Jewish terms (i.e. sukkah), but it's totally compatible for Christians and people of all beliefs who say you should APOLOGIZE at times!

More than this very important object lesson, the story and illustrations are just fabulous. My four and five year old were very sympathetic to the character of Ziz who is cute and inadvertently causing all kinds of problems for the children he loves so much. And they were cracking up when he talks with God. If your child has any bible knowledge at all, they will sense the gentle humor in the whole thing.

Very sweet and lovingly done. Although many books are recommended for character development, this one is worth purchasing. Probably not, however, just to teach your kids about Yom Kippur. It definitely makes the point about apologizing and restitution, but it does not directly teach much about the holiday. Just a great story.

This book was well written and illustrated. A very profound and important
message for everyone, regardless of their age. We have recommended this
to our friends and relatives.

The author and illustrator have done an amazing job at explaining the true meaning of atonement in such a humorous and delightful way. I appreciate that the message is one of happiness and pride without any shame. The story is very entertaining and appropriate for pre-school through grade school. Really well done!