Seeing how many people seem glued to their cell phones and other devices, one might get the impression that no one reads books any more. Yet our public library still circulates more printed books than recorded or electronic ones, and there are authors and publishers who are still coming up with appealing and creative books on paper. As a librarian, I always thought that introducing children to reading as a fun activity while they were young was crucial to creating a lifelong interest in reading, so I like to review recent children’s books on Jewish themes a couple of times each year. If you are looking for some Chanukah gifts for the children in your life, here are three books for children of various ages.
“Laila Tov, Moon,” by Vivian Newman
This is a cute book with a simple text, for very young children. It would be an ideal bedtime story due to the theme. A little girl says “laila tov” to the moon each night, observing how it changes in size and shape over time. She compares it to a banana, half a cookie, an egg, and a balloon, and then a smile when it is back to its smallest size. Cutouts in the pages help illustrate her thoughts. The last page shows all the moon phases with the names associated with them, such as “waning crescent.” Inside the front cover are interesting facts that parents can explain to children at a level that they can understand, about how the Jewish calendar is still based on the ancient method of keeping time by the phases of the moon. The monthly celebration of the new moon is “rosh chodesh,” which means “head of the month.”
“Five Brave Knights Vs. The Dreadful Dragon,” by Netalie Gvirtz
This book uses a fable to illustrate the idea that people working together are stronger than any one of the individuals working alone. Written at about a 3rd grade reading level, it features five boys and girls who are role-playing defending their castle from the “dreadful dragon.” Each tries to find the perfect stick to use, and they have a contest to see which one will be successful. But, as each one tries, their stick breaks, and the dragon, who is obviously the father of one of the children, sits down to relax and have a sandwich. Then one of the girls in the group suggests that they each look for another stick, but that they then tie all of them together and use those to defeat the dragon. Tied in a bundle, their sticks are strong enough for the task. The final page explains the Midrash Tanchuma theme that just as reeds bundled together are much stronger than each single one, the Israelites became strong when they were united. Children are encouraged to try this idea out, tying a bundle of sticks together to see how much stronger they are than any individual one.
“Chunky,” by Yehudi Mercado
This book is a graphic novel, what we used to call a comic book. It features Hudi, a pudgy Mexican American Jewish boy who really wants to fit in. His mixed ethnicity as well as his size make him the butt of jokes at school, and he creates an imaginary friend, Chunky, who provides encouragement rather than teasing. For most of the book, Hudi’s father is no help, insisting that he try out one sport after another, and discouraging his interest in theater and comedy. Sitting on the bench during a soccer game, he works on memorizing his part for his sister’s Bat Mitzvah, an activity that interests him more than sports. He gets more attention for his humorous speech at that event than he ever does in sports. Hudi manages to injure himself in almost every sport, and when he tries swimming, the other kids ask him about a large scar on his chest, and he tells them about losing one lung to an early childhood infection. Despite all of this, Hudi’s father continues to push him into sports. In football he finally has some success, due to being heavier than the other boys. The coach’s philosophy is less than ideal, telling the team, “Aint no illegal play unless the ref sees it,” and “When you tackle someone, you put them out for the rest of the game.” When Hudi helps someone get back up after a tackle, the coach throws him out of the game. As he exits the field, Hudi does a dance like he has seen some of the pro football players do, and he gets a great crowd reaction from it.
Back at home, Hudi’s father finds all the drawings of Hudi with his imaginary friend, having all sorts of sports success. At that point, his father finally realizes that Hudi needs to be allowed to pursue what really makes him happy, theater and performing. For me, this was “too little, too late” — for just about all of this book, most of the people are mean to Hudi, and it is no wonder he keeps his imaginary friend around. Probably this reflects what real life is often like for the fat kid. The back cover recommends this book for ages 8-12. Because of the negative behavior of so many of the characters, I think it is more appropriate for junior high, unless reading it as a family activity is used to bring up the subjects of bullying, good sportsmanship, and how to deal with other people’s sometimes unfair or unrealistic expectations. A final note says that much of this story is based on the experiences of the author, who is a Jew of Mexican descent, now working in various areas of media.
Even with books being available in various electronic formats, for me nothing beats a book on paper, and it is more likely to be shared and handed down over the years.
