Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah [Paperback]

Sylvia A. Rouss (Author), Katherine Janus Kahn (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Sammy's newest adventure finds him knee-deep in honey, and eager to celebrate the New Year. The third in the popular Sammy series.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1. Another successful collaboration between the author and illustrator of Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah (1993) and Sammy Spider's First Passover (1995, both Kar-Ben). In this story about the Jewish New Year, Rouss repeatedly uses concepts of size?large, middle-sized, and small?in the narrative. Mother Spider explains the holiday customs and symbols to curious young Sammy, including Rosh Hashanah greeting cards, challah bread, apples and honey for a sweet year, and special synagogue services. Sammy is endearing, but mischief-prone. Despite Mother Spider's insistence that he must remain a respectful observer to the festivities, Sammy manages to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in his own way. This gentle tale should appeal to youngsters of all backgrounds. The colorful collage illustrations are both instructive and cheerful.?Libby K. White, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Preschoolers already love Sammy and are sure to delight in hearing about his first new year." -- Gila Wertheimer, Chicago Jewish Star

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kar-Ben Pub (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929371992
• ISBN-13: 978-0929371993
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #444,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Religious
  • #62 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Fiction > Jewish
  • #64 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Religious

More About the Author

Sylvia Rouss is the award-winning author and early childhood educator who created the popular Sammy Spider and The Littlest books.


Even with her success as an author, Sylvia has not given up what she loves most, teaching. She is currently a preschool teacher in Los Angeles, and says that she "is inspired by the children in my classroom".


Sylvia also received awards as an educator and she conducts seminars for parents and teachers.


Sylvia is a featured author and lecturer at book fairs throughout the United States and Israel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great intro for small children, September 17, 2000

By 

Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah (Paperback)

You've heard of being a little mouse in the room or a fly on the wall? Well, Sammy is a spider on the ceiling! This is a good intro to Rosh Hashanah for small children, who will love the big, colorful illustrations. I also like the Sammy Spider series because it portrays spiders in a positive way. Spiders are our friends -- they eat flies and other annoying bugs, and are nothing to be afraid of!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to Rosh Hashanah, December 22, 2008

By 

K. Hogue (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah (Paperback)

I bought this book for a class of Kindergarteners to teach them about Rosh Hashanah, and it was really fantastic. Most of the children were not Jewish and it covered all of the basics of the holiday, leading perfectly into more descriptions and activities after we'd finished. The repetition and basic concepts in the Sammy Spider books are fantastic for children following along--by the middle of the book everyone was saying along with the story, "Silly Sammy...spiders spin webs!"

I would recommend this book and the other Sammy Spider stories for preschoolers and Kindergarteners of all backgrounds. They're really fantastic.

Just a note: the book uses simple vocabulary (challah, etc), so you may want to make sure you know how to pronounce some words that are used if you are not familiar with them.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars review of Sammy, October 24, 2008

By 

Judie Carr (New orleans, La) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah (Paperback)

It arrived in a timely fashion and my grand child loves it....I will order more soon. thanks.!!!