Just Like Queen Esther

by Ari Moffic, Kerry Olitzky

Overview

Atara loves to wear her crown - to the library, to the dentist, even to her swim lessons. It gives her confidence, and shows the world that she is a girl, not a boy, like everyone thought at first. But when Atara reads the story of Queen Esther, on the Jewish holiday of Purim - she realises that you don't need a costume to express who you really are...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781805013068
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	01/21/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.84(w) x 9.84(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Rabbi Kerry Olitzky is an author and educator, and was voted by Newsweek as one of the leading 50 rabbis in North America. His most recent children's books include Where's the Potty on this Ark? and The Littlest Candle: A Hanukkah Story, as well as 10 animated preschool stories on the JiTap platform. Kerry is based in the New York area.
Ari Moffic is a Jewish educator and has published articles in the field of interfaith families, as well as education for neurodiverse children. She is raising a transgender child which she has written about in various Anglo-Jewish publications, such as Kveller, eJewishPhilanthropy, and Sh'ma. Ari holds an MA in Jewish education and was ordained a rabbi at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Ari is based in Illinois.

Editorial Reviews

Groundbreaking. A powerful reminder that true freedom comes from embracing our true identities. Highly recommended for families, schools and communities

Lisa Stanton (Jewish Communal Professional and Parent Advocate for Trans Youth) and Maya Stanton (Je

Atara is clothed with strength and splendor; she looks to the future with joy. Like the Purim story itself, Atara reveals her powerful truth of self worth and holy pride to a world that is worthy of accepting her with love.

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz

2024-10-25
A trans girl finds a much-needed mirror in a biblical queen.

Atara wears a crown everywhere she goes—in fact, her name even meanscrown. One day, her mom reads her a book about Purim, and Atara sees herself in Queen Esther; while Esther hid her Jewish identity, for a long time Atara never told her parents she was really a girl. Just as Esther’s crown made it clear that she was a queen, Atara’s crown gives her a sense of assurance about her identity. In drama class, Atara is even cast as Queen Esther in the Purim play. The show is a hit. But when Atara forgets her crown at home the next day, she must summon her inner confidence. The book’s full-color, pastel illustrations are reminiscent of newspaper comic strips, with rounded, squiggly lines. The dyslexia-friendly text appears separately from the images. Though the writing is purposeful and at times clunky, it’s wonderful to see a Purim story that centers a trans protagonist; many young people will identify with both Atara and Esther. The book has no endnotes about the holiday, so adults may want to pair this offering with an informational text. Atara and her mom have tan complexions and curly brown hair. Queen Esther has brown skin; the Persian King Ahasuerus is light-skinned.

A delightfully inclusive Purim tale. (reading recommendations, coloring activity)(Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews