Sukkot Treasure Hunt [Hardcover]

Allison Ofanansky (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—An Israeli girl goes on a Sukkot "treasure hunt" with her parents to find the four items (date palm, willow, myrtle, and etrog fruit) used to celebrate the harvest holiday. They find the first three plants during a hike in the hills, and the last is offered by a friend who has an etrog tree in his courtyard. Each step of the hunt is illustrated by sun-dappled photographs of the charming child and her laid-back parents. Books on the Jewish celebration of Sukkot are few and far between, and this one is unique in its focus. An endnote describes the various plants the family sees and mentions that the Torah commands Jews to "take the branches and fruit of beautiful trees and rejoice" at harvest time. However, little explanation is offered on the symbolism and function of the plants in the observance. Readers unfamiliar with Sukkot may be mystified by the fuss made over them, and by the very brief mention of the sukkah built by the family. The book is well suited to observant audiences and will be a boon to Jewish educational institutions, but seems to lack the bridging material to bring other readers onboard.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL END

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822587637
• ISBN-13: 978-0822587637
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,185,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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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 Sukkot Treasure Hunt, December 28, 2009

By 

Jewish Book World Magazine (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sukkot Treasure Hunt (Hardcover)

From the author of Harvest of Light comes another fantastic photo essay that brings Israel to life in a family's celebration of Sukkot. Readers will join the family and other community members as they create a sukkah, and journey to collect the necessary elements to celebrate Sukkot: the lulav, aravot (willow), hadas (myrtle), and etrog. The hills of Tzefat provide the beautiful setting for many of the photos, introducing the landscape of Israel in a refreshing way. The story ends with a family meal in the Sukkah. The photographs are stunning and the accompanying text is succinct and readable, perfect for a read aloud in school or at home. A "Fun Facts" and "About Sukkot" section at the back of the book add to the educational value of the book. The only weakness of an otherwise outstanding book is the lack of a full-view photograph of the completed sukkah. For ages 3 - 8. Barbara Bietz

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review, November 19, 2009

By 

Virginia S. Grenier "Children's Author & Stor... (Ivins, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sukkot Treasure Hunt (Hardcover)

Reviewed by: Wayne Walker

Who knows what the Jewish festival of Sukkot is? If you said that it is a harvest celebration, you would be right, but it is more than just that. Literally the "Festival of Booths," it recalls the temporary huts that the Jewish people built as they wandered in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Each family of Jews erects a sukkah, and every morning of Sukkot they wave the "four species" up, down, and around. Author Allison Ofanansky follows a young girl, her Abba (father), and Ima (mother), who live in the village of Tzefat, as they go on a scavenger hunt in the surrounding countryside to find the lulav or branch from a date palm, aravot or branches from a willow tree, hadas or nice-smelling myrtle, and etrog or citrus fruit that looks like a big lemon. Will they be able to obtain them all? Along the way, the family also notices a hyrax, a bay tree, a grapevine, a pomegranate tree, a wild orange tree, and an eagle.

The visually stunning photographs by Eliyahu Alpern grace this text by illustrating both the plants and the animals mentioned and the family's search for what it needs. In the back, there are two pages of "fun facts" about many of the species mentioned in the book as well as more information concerning Sukkot. For those who have read about the Festival of the Booths in the Scriptures, it is very interesting to see how it is observed by Jewish people today. The author, who lives in the village of Kaditah, near the mystical city of Tzefat, has written another children's book, Harvest of Light, also published by Kar-Ben.

4.0 out of 5 stars Creative ways to celebrate Sukkot, September 26, 2009

By 

Nancy A. (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sukkot Treasure Hunt (Hardcover)

My grandchildren love the celebration of Sukkot. This book teaches them how to celebrate the holiday.