Havdalah Is Coming!

by Tracy Newman, Viviana Garofoli (Illustrator)

Overview

The ninth in the popular Jewish holiday board book series by Newman and Garofoli, a family and their puppy celebrate Havdalah, the weekly ritual celebrating the end of Shabbat and welcoming the new week.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541521636
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Pages:	12
Product dimensions:	6.75(w) x 6.75(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD350L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 5 Years

About the Author

Tracy Newman has written numerous books for children, including Itzhak: A Boy who Loved the Violin, which won a Schneider Family Honor. Her writing inspiration comes from her adventures raising her children. She lives in Connecticut.

Viviana Garofoli was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. A graduate of Escuela National de Bellas Artes Pridiliano Pueyrredon with a degree in fine arts, she has illustrated more than 70 children's books, including Peek-A-Boo Passover and the board book series A Jewish Holiday is Coming!

Editorial Reviews

"I like that it keeps explaining that Havdalah is coming throughout the book so that children will understand better what is being taught about in this book. I like that the family wants to include friends in the Havdalah celebration when it starts." — Jill Harris

From the Publisher

2020-01-12
A family celebrates Havdalah, or the end of Shabbat, at sundown.

In a suburban neighborhood, a kippah-wearing youngster helps get ready by filling the kiddush cup. Parents, sister, and spotted dog join the scene to light a braided candle and smell the spice box. The mom recites a prayer as the candle burns, and then the candle is extinguished in the cup by the dad. A group of “family and friends” arrive and join the festivities, a black-presenting man in a kippah adding diversity to the otherwise all-white cast. The gathering ends with everyone joining hands to sing and celebrate the beginning of the week, but sharp-eyed readers will note that the havdalah candle seems to have been lit again after it had been extinguished. Many of the players appear to be returning from other titles in the A Holiday Is Coming! series. Punctuated with the refrain “Havdalah is coming,” the rhyming text provides gentle narration, but it won’t explain the ritual to the uninitiated. Garofoli’s collage-style art in highly saturated colors is amiable and bright.

This simple, family-centered account of weekly observance should be welcome in many Jewish homes. (Board book. 18 mos.-4)

Kirkus Reviews