From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—Brief profiles of 20 individuals from Haym Solomon to Daniel Pearl. Famous and lesser-known figures are included, such as Albert Einstein and Rachel Frank, who preached sermons nearly a century before women were accepted as rabbis. While they varied widely in their adherence to Jewish practice, these individuals were (or are) committed to social justice. Accompanying portraits were done in a variety of styles and media in the spirit of the biographees' accomplishments. For instance, the portrait of Levi Strauss, who invented blue jeans, is painted on denim. The one of Emma Lazarus incorporates words from "The New Colossus." The approach is creative and expressive, although potentially confusing for literal-minded young readers. The text is clearly written, but the brevity of each profile necessarily means that details are glossed over and that minimal social or historical context is provided. While the life stories are a little dry, Drucker's admiration for each person comes through loud and clear, and may drive readers to seek out fuller biographies. Back matter extends the book's usefulness as a report starter. A perfect resource for Jewish American Heritage Month in May or Jewish Book Month in November.—
Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Albert Einstein and Bella Abzug to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hank Greenberg, and Steven Spielberg, this invitingly illustrated collective biography celebrates 20 Jewish American heroes in all their diversity: their lives and work, the obstacles they overcame, their strong American roots, and their pride in being Jewish. The nicely designed volume includes full-page portraits of the subjects in various media: Levi Strauss is painted on denim; Einstein is depicted in a collage; astronaut Judith Arlene Resnik is seen with a spaceship in the background. Though the profiles never show a fault or failure, Drucker’s eloquent, chatty style opens up big issues about Judaism as a source of idealism and for a just, compassionate society. The bibliography and the Jewish American history time line will lead interested readers on to more information. Grades 3-6. --Hazel Rochman
