(1) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. It's Zachary's baby sister's first Shabbat, and the whole family is on their way to the synagogue for her naming ceremony. As they bump into people throughout their diverse neighborhood, a sweet pattern emerges: a neighbor asks the baby's name; Zachary is bursting to tell, but the family answers with a nickname (e.g., "Little Babka"), since her real name won't be announced until the ceremony; the neighbor is then invited along. At the ceremony itself, in which Zachary plays an active role, the happy suspense culminates in the reveal of an aptly chosen name. This welcome, positive, inclusive story (the family is interracial and has two mothers) portrays a child infectiously excited about a new sister and about a Jewish ritual. Vibrant illustrations depict a synagogue bathed in warmth and light through stained-glass windows and a cheerful neighborhood complete with palm trees and colorful flora; even a rainstorm doesn't break the joyful mood. An author's note discusses the varied traditions around Jewish baby-naming ceremonies.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. This picture-book biography of Holocaust historian Yaffa Eliach (1935–2016) begins with her happy childhood in the shtetl of Eishyshok in what is now Lithuania, emphasizing the village's deep connection to its nine-hundred-year history and its enthusiasm for preserving memories through photographs. When the Nazis invade, Yaffa and her family escape, and the approachable text continues to center the importance of memories, including the photos Yaffa saves in her shoes. Years later, when the adult Eliach is a renowned history professor in the U.S., President Jimmy Carter asks her to build a memorial in the new United States Holocaust Museum, and she seeks out photos saved by other survivors to "rebuild Eishyshok, not brick by brick, but photograph by photograph, story by story." The result is the Tower of Faces, which Eliach calls the Tower of Life. Gal's illustrations, created with ink, watercolor, and digital collage (including two actual photos), begin with cheerful blues and yellows on plentiful white space, then turn to angry, arresting reds and blacks when the Nazis appear. Photos and other ephemera in varied grayscale and sepia tones are creatively incorporated into broader scenes of memories as those scenes are reconstructed. An affirming tribute to a Jewish past that was lost in the Holocaust as well as to one survivor's work. Back matter includes a timeline, a bibliography, further reading, and an author's note.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. On Passover, inside his warm and cozy house, a boy waits expectantly for his family's Seder. Outdoors, a kitten waits alone for the moon to appear. Inside, the Seder begins. The boy fills the Cup of Elijah, a ritual that welcomes the prophet into the home. The child listens to the Passover story and enjoys a traditional meal, while outside the cat listens to whispering leaves and "ate nothing at all." Readers recognize or learn about nearly all the steps of the Seder while getting to know the roaming feline, whose roughly parallel activities are shown, split-screen-style, on every spread. The cat's rambles lead to the boy's doorstep at the same moment he opens the door for the prophet: "And that's how Elijah found a home." Gal's warmhearted illustrations, in ink, charcoal, and digital collage, show a diverse, loving extended Jewish family. The art is suffused with light, including golden hues, warm browns, and midnight blues along with textured brushstrokes, subtle patterns, dark outlines, and the whitish-gray cat. Passover-themed details in the text ("Tonight would be different from all other nights," think boy and cat--a nod to the Four Questions), the illustrations (gefilte fish advertised in a market window), and the story's message (let all who are hungry come and eat) will resonate with readers; for those unfamiliar with the holiday, Newman's informative and personal appended author's note provides more detail. Waiting is a feeling with which young Seder-goers will likely be familiar. The protagonist's wait ends not as he expected, but satisfyingly nonetheless.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. This cheery secular celebration takes readers along on Santa's Christmas Eve journey around the globe, starting in Kiritimati (a.k.a. Christmas Island) and ending in Hawaii. Readers learn about the Christmas treats each culture prepares for Santa and how a typical home decorates and celebrates. Warm charcoal and digital-collage illustrations enhance the sweet presentation. A world map, recipes, and an author's note are included.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) PS Illustrated by Susan Gal. The arrival of spring, with its flowers, budding trees, baby birds, and butterflies, is celebrated with magic words (alakazam, presto chango) and gatefolds that open to show what the magic has wrought. Simple rhymes tell the story: "A silent sky, / then birds come winging. / Mumbo jumbo! / Noisy singing!" Vibrant, full-bleed mixed-media illustrations enhance the joy and the transformations.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) PS Illustrated by Susan Gal. From the creators of Abracadabra, It's Spring! comes an homage to another season. Simple rhyming text incorporating magic words leads to gatefolds revealing fall's transformations: "Chipmunks dig / their burrows deep. / Sim sala bim! / They're fast asleep." Illustrated with richly colored charcoal and digital-collage art, this is a perfect choice for autumn storytimes.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. Bella resists replacing her favorite coat, but crafty DIY-er Grams helps the growing girl enjoy the season and accept changes, both in nature and her body. Gal's illustrations--full-spread autumn scenes with saturated golden colors--depict Bella's giddy outdoor play in her outgrown coat. Together with lively descriptions of Bella's activities, they create an appealing, if nostalgic, view of childhood.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Gal. Simple rhyming couplets describe the major Jewish holidays and life cycle events in a child's first year--from her naming ceremony to a summertime Shabbat--and connects them to the changing seasons. On double-page spreads, sumptuously colored charcoal and digital-collage illustrations capture the warmth and love in a family's celebrations. Further explanations of each holiday, crafts, and recipes are appended.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith