The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Kimmel, Eric A.

Big Sam: A Rosh Hashanah Tall Tale

32 pp. | Behrman/Apples & Honey | August, 2017 | Trade ISBN 978-1-68115-525-8 $17.95

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jim Starr. Jewish giant Samson bakes an enormous challah for Rosh Hashanah and in the process creates some U.S. landmarks (e.g., his mixing bowl is the freshly dug Grand Canyon). "Big Sam" also repairs some natural environments he damaged while baking (after all, the Jewish New Year is about "mending the world") before celebrating with figures from American folklore. Lush paintings illustrate this entertaining if overtly instructive holiday tall tale.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan