Summer means long days and plenty of outdoor activity! When the little ones have had enough fun in the sun, pull them onto your lap and share a great story. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Bernstein, Robin. Terrible, Terrible! Rockville, MD: KarBen, 1998.
A family feels their home is too crowded until a wise rabbi offers unusual advice that helps them see things in perspective. There are many versions of this folktale; in this one, the family is contemporary and the rabbi is female.
Davis, Aubrey. Bone Button Borscht. Buffalo: Kids Can Press, 1997.
This Jewish retelling of the familiar “stone soup” story is a winner! Read it aloud with plenty of theatrical gestures and exaggerated voices, it’s sure to please young children.
Forest, Heather. Feathers. Little Rock: August House Little Folk, 2005.
Based on a tale from an 18th-C. Hasidic rabbi, this is one of many available versions of a timeless story. A gossipy villager learns a lesson when a wise rabbi shows her how difficult it is to undo the damage caused by gossip. Bright illustrations and simple text help convey a great lesson.
Heller, Linda. The Castle on Hester Street. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2007.
In this 25th-anniversary edition of a beloved book about immigration to America, Grandma and Grandpa offer Julie two very different versions of their courtship and early lives in America. Always a delight, the book is enhanced with new illustrations.
Hershenhorn, Esther. Chicken Soup by Heart. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2007.
This lovely intergenerational story about a little boy who makes chicken soup for his ailing babysitter does not feature a lot of overt Jewish content, but uses Yiddish words and has a definite Jewish ta'am (flavor).
Sugarman, Brynn Olenberg. Minneapolis: KarBen, 2006.
A Jewish family adopts a baby girl from Vietnam. While the book is ideal for families with children who are adopted, it also helps all children understand the increasingly diverse face of the Jewish community.
Wasserman, Mira. Too Much of a Good Thing. Minneapolis: KarBen, 2004.
A Roman king learns about Shabbat, then decides to celebrate it non-stop. Wise Rabbi Judah teaches the king how to make Shabbat truly special and separate, through the ritual of havdalah. Amusing illustrations accompany the text, based on a story from the Talmud.
Zemach, Kaethe. Just Enough and Not Too Much. NY: Arthur A. Levine, 2003.
Consumerism runs rampant until Simon realizes he doesn’t need so much “stuff.” Very simple text with brightly-colored illustrations make this a fun story with an important message.
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