Day of Delight: A Jewish Sabbath in Ethiopia

by Maxine Rose Schur, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator), Sharon Zewde Shalom Phd (Afterword)

Overview

Experience the beauty of Shabbat through the eyes of a young boy in a traditional Ethiopian Jewish village—an evocative tribute to family, faith, and a vanishing way of life.

Before the sun rises over the Ethiopian mountains, Senvetu and his family begin preparations for the most special time of the week: the Sabbath, their Day of Delight. From blacksmithing, to gathering honey, grinding grain, and baking fragrant bread, Senvetu’s world is full of purpose, tradition, and community. With poetic prose by Maxine Rose Schur and vibrant illustrations by Caldecott Honor-awarded artist Brian Pinkney, this heartfelt story depicts a culture, a ritual, and a legacy of a unique community.

Includes a glossary and a note by renown scholar, Rabbi Dr. Sharon Zewde Shalom, on the Ethiopian Jewish community, known as Beta Israel.

A free downloadable activity guide that highlights the themes in this book is available on the Kalaniot Books website.

About Kalaniot Books
Kalaniot Books is dedicated to sharing the richness and diversity of Jewish life and culture with today’s children and families. With a special focus on amplifying voices from Jewish communities around the world, Kalaniot celebrates the many ways Jewish identity is expressed—through story, song, language, and art. Every book is a window into Jewish heritage, designed to spark curiosity, connection, and pride in young readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781962011006
Publisher:	Kalaniot Books
Publication date:	04/21/2026
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.75(w) x 8.88(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Maxine Rose Schur is an award-winning author of children's books and travel essays. Her writing often centers on cultural diversity, history, and identity, earning her honors such as the Sydney Taylor Award and a National Jewish Book Award nomination. With a background in theater and the experiences of extensive travel, Schur brings a lyricism and cultural richness to her stories. She lives in Northern California, where she continues to write and to travel.

Brian Pinkney is a celebrated illustrator of more than seventy books for children, known for his distinctive scratchboard art style. A two-time Caldecott Honor recipient and four-time Coretta Scott King Award honoree, Pinkney brings dynamic movement and emotion to every page. He is dedicated to creating books that reflect African and African American experiences. Pinkney lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and frequent collaborator, author Andrea Davis Pinkney.

Rabbi Dr. Sharon Zewde Shalom is an Ethiopian-born Israeli scholar, rabbi, and author. A child refugee of “Operation Brothers”—a covert 1980s mission to rescue Ethiopian Jews via Sudan—he now directs the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College. He is a leading voice on Beta Israel heritage, Jewish diversity, and religious pluralism.

Editorial Reviews

Set in Ethiopia, this book not only explores how the Jewish Sabbath is celebrated in a far-flung land, but also gives us a glimpse of a vanishing cultural group, the Falasha, and their way of life. In a quiet, yet joyful story, Menelik, the son of a blacksmith, talks about the black Jews in his small community as they earn their living weaving, farming, and shaping iron tools and as they prepare for their Sabbath. Pinkney's sturdy, attractive painted scratchboard illustrations catch the reverence and the everyday detail without a hint of sentimentality. A fine choice for the multicultural shelf, this will also have children who celebrate Shabbat in the U.S. eagerly comparing their own holiday with Menelik's. A glossary and pronunciation guide are included, as is an author's note explaining Ethiopia's black Jewish population.

Stephanie Zvirin