The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Perlov, Betty Rosenberg

Rifka Takes a Bow

32 pp. | Kar-Ben | September, 2013 | Trade ISBN 978-0-7613-8127-3 $17.95

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cosei Kawa. The young narrator describes accompanying her parents, actors in the Yiddish theater, to performances; one day, she ends up on stage. For the right audience, the book--informed by the ninety-six-year-old author's childhood--provides an authentic glimpse into the early-twentieth-century Yiddish theater experience; an explanatory note is included. Muted, attractively stylized illustrations with a charming bygone-era sensibility complement the quiet story.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith