Jewish Holidays All Year Round: A Family Treasury [Hardcover]

Ilene Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

For Jewish people every year is punctuated by special days when families rejoice in a rich heritage, recall history, renew the spirit and remember what it means to be Jewish. This illustrated book introduces the richness of the Jewish tradition and the holy days that accompany all of the major Jewish festivals. It allows young readers to explore the true meaning of these special days. The traditions and history of each holy day are explained in simple, clear language, along with the ways in which the day is observed, both in the synagogue and at home. The book also looks at crafts (including a miniature sukkah) and recipes for the special foods eaten on these occasions. The book is illustrated with artwork and photographs from the Jewish Museum and with drawings by Elivia Savadier.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Written by Booklist's children's book editor, abundantly illustrated with Savadier's (The Uninvited Guest: and Other Jewish Holiday Tales) playful watercolors as well as color photographs of art and artifacts from New York City's Jewish Museum, this book strikes a tone both child-friendly and respectful. As the author thoughtfully explores the history and significance of the holidays and festivals of the Jewish year, she succinctly links these to traditions and rituals. For example, after explaining Sukkot and identifying it as an inspiration for the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving, she writes, "Today, each sukkah fragile... open to the sky and the rain reminds us that we eternally owe our thanks to God. The sukkah symbolizes our need for God's shelter." Instructions for holiday activities (crafts, recipes, etc.) are also included. Almost every page features at least one illustration, from a view of an 18th-century Galician Torah crown to a contemporary photo of a Harlem congregation blowing long, twisty shofars to a 1910 Rosh Hashanah "card" carved on a walrus tusk in Nome, Alaska. Savadier's vignettes, mostly of busy, happy people, underscore the liveliness of Jewish faith. All ages.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-This celebration of and introduction to the Jewish holidays describes observances both at home and in the synagogue. The preface explains the Jewish calendar. Each chapter is devoted to a single holiday and has an activity and a recipe. Most of the projects could be accomplished at home or in a classroom setting; many of the recipes are complicated. (Readers are instructed to ask for adult help.) For example, the Sabbath chicken noodle soup requires a whole quartered chicken and more than two hours to simmer, but the Tu B'Shevat spring cleanup would be a nice reason for a class to pick up litter in the schoolyard. Illustrated with lively pen-and-ink and color sketches of diverse families celebrating, and with full-color and black-and-white photographs of artifacts from the Jewish Museum in New York, this book does an excellent job of bringing the holidays to life. The text, illustrations, and photographs work together to create an informative and enjoyable survey for Jewish collections and to round out multicultural collections.
Martha Link, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810905507
• ISBN-13: 978-0810905504
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Children's Books > Religions > Judaism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sample crafts and activities with holiday themes, May 23, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jewish Holidays All Year Round: A Family Treasury (Hardcover)

Jewish Holidays All Year Round is a remarkable resource written by Ilene Cooper to help young readers discover their Judaic history, faith, heritage, culture and traditions, as well as what it means to be a Jew. Sample crafts and activities with holiday themes, and explanations of holidays with descriptions of how they are celebrated fill this highly recommended volume. Enhanced with full color illustrations by Elivia Savadier, Jewish Holidays All Year Round recommended for Jewish family collections and would make an ideal addition to school and community library Multicultural Studies collections for young readers.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A basic start, August 18, 2010

By 

Heather Hofshi "belleandroses" (my computer, obviously) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jewish Holidays All Year Round: A Family Treasury (Hardcover)

I was excited to get this book, but it turns out to not quite be what I was looking for. I wanted more activities and less explanation. The text is really simple, but long and without many pictures, which makes me wonder who their audience is-- you can't really read this to kids and it will bore adults, most of whom will know all this anyway. Ah, well, at least it's a jumping-off point.