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December 19, 2003
Give books from Israel
Pitspopany can get young readers into mitzvah mode.
JUDITH BRODER SELLNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Encouraging children to read is always a good deed, but introducing
them to books from Israel is a special mitzvah in these times.
Pitspopany Books can get you and your young readers into this mitzvah
mode. Designed, edited and printed in Israel, these award-winning
books include familiar and original stories, and use imaginative
and innovative illustration techniques that engage young readers.
The company specializes in creating children's books that have quality
Jewish content, as well as esthetic appeal.
Hot off the presses just in time for Chanukah giving are four new
books, each with its own special story and design style. As well,
there are holiday-related publications now available. These books
are in English.
And Then There Were Dinosaurs by Sari Steinberg is
based on a Midrash that says six worlds were created before our
world. The story depicts the sixth world and ends with the beginning
of the seventh world, the creation of man. Especially appropriate
for young children, it discusses the concept of sharing and posits
that the dinosaur world disappeared because they could not learn
to share.
Three-dimensional Claymation figures, molded from clay, painted
and glazed and set in position, illustrate the tale. Creating an
atmosphere of reality, especially for children, they enhance the
story greatly and capture the imagination of the age three-to-six
children for whom the book was designed.
In the biblical realm, Noah's Ark by Eric Johns, with
illustrations by Sue Deakin, is ingenious and delightful for the
three-to-six set. The 3D Noah's Ark model has its own stand and
an amazing menagerie of moveable animals. A full-color, 24-page
book tells the Noah story.
The Tower by Lenee Mayer-Skumanz, for six- to nine-year-olds,
is historical fiction with an excitement element. Focusing on the
lives of the Jews who had just come to Babylon after the destruction
of the Temple, it portrays the early life of the Prophet Daniel
and his cohorts amid the idol worship of the Babylonians. Through
a series of flashbacks, the story reveals the origins of the Jewish
people and the miraculous escapes of the heroes of the Book of Daniel.
The text is set into the sky of the full-color, double-page illustrations,
which portray the biblical period. Artist Janusz Stanny uses both
soft and brilliant pastels in the warm and detailed paintings.
Tali's Jerusalem Scrapbook by Sylvia Rouss is illustrated
by Nancy Oppenheimer in very lifelike pastels and her unique style,
which children enjoy. The book describes the current situation in
Israel through a child's eyes. By dealing with the emotions that
sometimes overwhelm not only children in Israel, but all children
who have been confronted by terrorist attacks, it helps them discuss
their fears and, in this way, can be very therapeutic.
Nine-year-old Tali keeps a scrapbook of her treasures: postcards,
photos of her friends, invitations, pictures of her beloved Jerusalem
and other such items. She is excited because her New York grandparents,
aunt, uncle and cousins are once again coming to help celebrate
her birthday. When they cancel due to the security situation, Tali
is bitterly disappointed, but a conversation with an elderly neighbor
helps her to put things in perspective.
While dealing with the subject of terrorism, the story presents
the diversity of people who share Jerusalem and make it the special
city it is. It teaches a lesson in tolerance of different races
and cultures, while it addresses children's justifiable fears of
being hurt in a terrorist attack.
Rouss won the National Jewish Book Award and the Storytelling World
Award in 2002, both in the United States, for her story The Littlest
Pair, part of the Littlest Series. Children's Choice
Awards went to The Adventures of Jeremy and Heddy Levi by
Yaffa Ganz, with Avi Katz's illustrations, and to Best Friends,
written and illustrated by Elisabeth Reuter.
Especially for Chanukah, Pitspopany Books is offering The
Burning Light by Betsy Ramsay and illustrated by Avi Katz,
for children ages 10-14. In this version of the holiday story, when
Judah Maccabee amassed his army in Judea, attacked the Greeks and
won a decisive victory, there were two unusual soldiers who helped
him. These two soldiers were called Galit and Gidon. They were from
the future – and they were kids.
The Energizing Hanukkah Story for Children by Chaim
Mazo, with illustrations by Don Channen, is a Chanukah story and
activity book for kids ages seven to 12 that includes holiday symbols
hidden in the full-page illustrations. Kids Love Jewish Holiday
Crafts by Tracey Agranoff, with photos by Geoffrey Marshall,
has full-color crafts for every Jewish holiday with step-by-step
instructions for artists ages eight to 12. And The Hebrew
Months Tell Their Story, written and illustrated by Reudor,
tells the tales of the Doodle family, who take off on an expedition
to discover the secret of the Jewish months. This book is aimed
at children four to eight.
A gift of knowledge, a gift from Israel, what could be more appropriate
for Chanukah! Information about other children's books from this
publisher can be found on the Internet at www.pitspopany.com
and www.devorapublishing
for this publisher's books for older children and adults.
Judith Broder Sellner, a freelance writer living in New
York, specializes in Jewish lifestyle subjects, writing for publications
throughout the United States and Canada.
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