My Baby Brother: What a Miracle! (Growing Up Jewish With Sarah Leah Jacobs) [Hardcover]

Sylvia A. Rouss (Author), Liz Goulet Dubois (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2002 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Growing Up Jewish With Sarah Leah Jacobs

When baby brother Daniel arrives, big sister Sarah Leah doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. Mommy and Daddy, as well as Aunt Judy, Bubbie and Zaydie, think he’s an amazing miracle. Sarah thinks her whole family needs glasses!

As the days pass, the house is filled with joy as family and friends stop by to welcome baby Daniel and prepare for his brit. Sarah’s baffled by all the excitement. What’s so miraculous about a tiny baby with no teeth who cries all the time? A miracle, Sarah knows, is when God created the world in seven days, or when a drop of oil burned for eight days at Hanukkah.

In this first volume of the charmingly written and delightfully illustrated Growing Up Jewish With Sarah Leah Jacobs series, Sarah comes to love her baby brother and realize what a miracle he truly is.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. First in a planned series of books about a girl growing up Jewish, this begins as Sarah visits her mother and new brother in the hospital. When her mother declares the baby a "miracle," Sarah disagrees: "God created the world in seven days--that was a miracle!" Her opinion doesn't change in spite of further declarations of "miracle" from family, friends, neighbors, and even Grandma and Grandpa. It is not until she holds her baby sibling that she realizes he is a miracle after all. The familiar scenario is tailored to Jewish children by a few well-placed details: Danny has a brit, the men wear kippot, and the nursery blocks have Hebrew letters. The pastel illustrations are generally pleasing, though the characters look a bit stiff. There's one confusing element: circumcision is explained as the removal of a tiny "bit of extra skin." Some children may wonder where that "extra" piece might be. The household details may be different here, but children of many faiths will easily recognize Sarah's feelings. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Sylvia Rouss is the critically acclaimed author of eighteen books, including the award-winning Sammy Spider Holiday Series, as well as Fun with Jewish Holiday Rhymes, The Littlest Frog, and The Littlest Pair. Sylvia's love for children is expressed not only through her writing, but through her teaching at a Los Angeles Jewish preschool. She also conducts seminars and workshops for teachers and parents. Sylvia is married and the proud mother of three adult children.

Liz Goulet Dubois graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, and has been illustrating and designing products for children ever since. Her artistry has graced products from plush toys and figurines to greeting cards and picture books. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband Eric, three daughters, and two lazy cats!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Jonathan David Pub (March 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824604458
• ISBN-13: 978-0824604455
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,463,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)