Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With verve reminiscent of a vintage musical number, and crisp digital artwork that nods to 1960s animation, a family pools their respective talents to make challah--the twisted egg bread that's a tradition of the Jewish Sabbath. The action, set to rhyming text, focuses mostly on bustling kitchen interplay, occasionally breaking into choreographed flights of fantasy. In one spread, the pale-skinned family's elder child--the book's narrator--dances and leaps across giant containers of sugar, salt, and oil before hopping onto an enormous spoon that extends out of an equally large mixing bowl. Offsay (A Grandma's Magic) and Kirschner (Mr. Particular) don't rush the preparations (they take several frames to show how "the dough will start to rise/ growing till it's twice the size"), nor do they leave anyone on the sidelines (Baby kneads the dough by crawling on it, and the family dog helps tear plastic to cover the bowl). Guests arrive, Grandma "lights the candles bright," and everyone gets to enjoy "Finally--our favorite part--// homemade challah/ from the heart." Brief explanatory material and a recipe conclude. Ages 3--5. Author's agent: Nicole Geiger, Full Circle Literary. Illustrator's agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Bookmark Literary. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--A delightful picture book chronicling the love, unity, and joy braided into a family's loaf of challah bread. From start to finish, challah is the focus of this story. Rhyming text propels it, keeping readers familiar and unfamiliar with this delicious, traditional Jewish bread engaged. The ingredients, steps for kneading, braiding, and a taste test at Shabbat dinner are all portrayed in whimsical, cartoony illustrations. One particularly adorable spread features a child set in miniature jumping from ingredient to ingredient like a challah fairy. Back matter includes information about the origins and role of challah in Jewish life, plus a recipe for readers to try at home. In a time when Jewish people are facing violence and antisemitism, this book is an oasis of Jewish joy. VERDICT Not just for cultural collections, but for family shelves, children's baking sections, and any collection that celebrates gatherings and love.--Maria Bohan
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's time to make the challah, and this loving Jewish family is ready for a day of fun. It will be a long process, but Mom, Dad, Baby, and the young protagonist have the recipe and all the necessary ingredients and utensils--and they plan to work together. The child narrator invites readers to join them ("Come and bake with us today!") and describes all the action in rhyming couplets as the family makes the traditional braided egg bread. Even the dog is involved, grabbing the challah in its mouth to help braid it and helping to set the table, which might elicit an "Eww, gross" from readers. Grandparents arrive with hugs, the candles are lit, and the challah is perfect and wonderfully delicious. As the events unfold, the family's reactions are evident in their body language and facial expressions, with the strongest emotions being the sheer love and joy in being together. Delightful cartoon illustrations--both single- and double-page spreads and vignettes--enhance the slight tale. In the endpapers and in a central double-page spread, the young protagonist is seen as a tiny sprite leaping and dancing among the ingredients. Backmatter explains that challah is customarily eaten on many Jewish holidays, including Shabbat. The brown-haired, light-skinned characters all have large brown eyes, with Dad and the narrator sporting oversized eyeglasses. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A timeless Shabbat tradition sweetly told. (author's note, recipe) (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
