(3) K-3 Illustrated by Karla Gudeon. The story of Hebrew's rebirth as a modern language is told through the experience of lonely child Ben-Zion and his parents Eliezer and Devorah. Starting in the late 1800s, Eliezer revised Hebrew to reflect the modern world, developing a new dictionary and championing schools to teach Hebrew. A critical story of Jewish history illustrated with folk-style pen and watercolor art. Includes biographical and historical afterwords. Reading list.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Karla Gudeon. Two children discover their grandparents' wedding attire in the attic. This prompts Grandma to bring out her treasured photo album. The nostalgic narrative, told as a story within a story, highlights Grandma's first picnic with Poppy and his marriage proposal, among other milestones. Detailed paintings with flowery borders reinforce the tale's sentimentality. Back matter includes wedding traditions from twenty cultures.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Karla Gudeon. This appealing volume presents contemporary Passover rituals alongside a retelling of the festival story. Left-hand pages include "Now" information while right-hand gatefold pages open to reveal the "Then" side: additional details about the Passover tale. Unfussy illustrations against natural-paper-textured backgrounds help illuminate events. The decorated endpapers are adorned with holiday symbols.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Karla Gudeon. A single apple contains an entire story: after it's picked and eaten by a child, birds peck at the core and spread seeds that grow into new trees. Ziefert's spare, poetic text directs readers through a rough outline of the basic process. Gudeon's rustic paintings evoke handmade quilts, with detailed borders and textured country fields. A solid autumn selection.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Karla Gudeon. Eight haiku, one for each night, describe Hanukkah traditions. Pages in graduated sizes turn to reveal one lit candle at a time, while folksy paintings show family members celebrating. Ziefert packs in plenty of information, and the brief lines encapsulate the festive spirit. Gudeon's art incorporates dreidels, musical notes, and Jewish symbols to create a beautiful tapestry.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2008