Leslie KimmelmanKirja-arvosteluja

First sentence: It was Eve's first day in the Garden of Eden. Actually, it was her first day anywhere, since she was newly created. God had made her wonderfully well. Eve was not afraid of anything. She was not afraid of the wild green tangle of the garden. Not afraid of the tall leafy trees soaring up into the sky. Not afraid of the vivid, rainbow-colored flowers growing all around her, their sweet scents perfuming the air.

Eve is the star of the show in Leslie Kimmelman's light-hearted retelling of the creation story. (Note the shift from Adam and Eve to Eve and Adam. Adam perhaps should join Ken in singing "I'm Just Ken." Adam is introduced four pages into the text.)

The main theme seems to be that Eve (and Adam) were created by God and lived fearlessly (well, mostly). Eve finds Adam super cute and adorable but a little lacking in imagination and intelligence. Quote from the text, "Maybe it was because Adam had been first. Eve came second, and, well, practice makes perfect." (To be fair to the author, Eve does admit she is NOT perfect two seconds after saying that she was perfect.)

About a third of the way through the story, the pair are startled and frightened by rain, thunder, and lightning. This is the first time they've experienced fear but they turn to faith in God that all will be well...again. (I suppose theologians might have differing opinions on IF rain occurred before the Flood or not. I suppose this isn't the most critical issue one could have in the evangelical faith. [Note: when I say evangelical I do NOT mean anything related to politics.])

Soon one fright leads to another. Turns out ADAM is afraid of the dark. Good thing Eve isn't scared of the dark and can help calm him down. But as the darkness becomes truly darkness, even Eve becomes worried. Though not as bad as shivering Adam. The stars eventually make their appearance and the two nestle up comfy-cozy together. (The whole book presents Eve and Adam without clothes. So this nestling picture seems an odd choice. It is in some ways sweet. But in other ways, a little daring for a children's book.)

The book ends with Eve (and Adam) declaring everything GOOD. Here is where I go from mildly perturbed to indignant. God has been an "extra" at best in this little play of creation. Definitely not front and center. The book itself has been very cutesy and light-hearted. In a way. Perhaps not a harmless way. Definitely a more pointed way. A way that makes Adam look weak, pathetic, a sidekick to Eve, her companion sure enough but not her equal. But I think the "slap in the face," if you will is when the author takes Scripture--God's declaration of creation's goodness [see Genesis 1:1-31]--and ends her story this way, "Eve and Adam saw that it was good." God barely registers as a footnote in the text. In Genesis 1 and 2, God is on the move--he is ACTIVELY creating, speaking, working, declaring. Make no mistake, any [intelligent] reading of the text reveals that God is front and center, the "main character" if you will, the whole point. This picture book pushes out the Creator and makes CREATION--specifically Eve--the focal point.

As the title suggests, the picture book is "the first day, first night, second morning." The scene fades before Genesis 3.

I think I could be unimpressed but not particularly disgruntled if the picture book did not end with the phrase, "And Eve and Adam saw that it was good." I think it isn't so much the sentiment behind the literal words. I am 99.9% sure that Adam and Eve did look at God's creation and saw goodness. It is the parroting of the biblical narrative and attributing God's declaration as originating from Eve that is unsettling.

The book is in the difficult position. On the one hand, it isn't theologically or biblically sound enough for [some] Christians to want to share with little ones. And Adam and Eve narratives abound in Bible storybooks. This one isn't remarkable enough to be better than those. Will every Christian see this one as twisting Scripture? Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not. On the other hand, the subject matter itself--Adam, Eve, Garden of Eden, God--makes it a difficult sell to a general audience, a secular audience that may not want any hint of religion. For those wanting an Eve that more closely resembles the Barbie character from 2023's Barbie movie instead of the book of Genesis from the very Word of God, this one may be a good fit.

Now, I will say--and I doubt anyone is still reading--that I did not dislike the artwork. I think the story is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, playful, light-hearted, fun and silly. I don't think the author truly has made a decision to play around with the truth of Scripture. It may come off as irreverent to me, but I don't assume that that was authorial intent.

Joyful, fascinating, and filled with "extras" (e.g. "The youngest racer to finish the marathon was Wesley Paul, age eight, who finished in just over three hours in 1977. Now you must be at least eighteen years old to run"). The first full page spread is an illustrated map of the route through all five boroughs; back matter includes an author's note and selected sources. Really fun and informative, and sprinkled with amusing visual details (like the sign someone holds up saying "You are NOT almost there!" in Brooklyn). Finishing is winning!

See also: Her Fearless Run; Girl Running½

"This cheery book features joy, courtesy, and care for others in a fun and lighthearted way".

This was a cute story about a boy, his grandfather, and a dog. It features some Jewish vocabulary throughout with definitions in the beginning. It was a sweet representation of involving pets in important times in life, and showed a very sweet representation of grandparent-grandchild relationships.

The classic Little Red Hen tale, with a Passover twist. Another book from the Friends of the Library sale that I'm sending to a friend.

yiddish word for nothing - in this book, nothing is a good thing

This is a book about bupkes: nothing, zero, zilch. Sometimes, though, what looks like nothing turns out to be the most important thing of all.

very good - Katrina

Not a huge fan of the page layout but I still really liked this book :)

The eight knights of Hanukkah are charged by Lady Sadie to go out and perform “deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery” before the Hanukkah celebration that evening. A little silly and very sweet, this punny title is a wonderful story of performing mitzvot for others and celebrating Hanukkah. (Sydney Taylor Notable Picture Book)

Mr. Mintz is famous in his neighborhood for cooking up cheesy, gooey, and delicious blintzes. Each spring he shares them with his friends to celebrate to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. But when he hurts his leg in a skateboarding accident and is unable to cook, what will become of the blintzes?

Cute story that shows how it is okay to be different than others. Kindness goes along ways and can really change how one another talk to each other. Many of us in society are quick to judge differences without even knowing the person. Frankenstein is so nice to everyone and stay true to himself. This is such a sweet book I would read in my classroom. Very adorable and sentimental.

Sam and Charlie (and Charlie's little sister, Sam Too) return with five more stories, which include a Tu B'Shevat celebration and a Hannukah competition. Accompanied by colorful illustrations, the stories highlight the value of friendship and its ups and downs.

The weather in Noah's neighborhood was terrible. It rained and rained and rained. It looked like it would never stop! Noah and his family crowded on board the ark. The animals got seasick. The skunks made a stink. Could things get any worse?

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt worked tirelessly for her country on domestic and international fronts. In this informational tale, her hotdog picnic to celebrate the visit of British royalty to the United States forges a relationship that will see both nations through the horrors of World War II. Author’s Note.

In this charming version of a favorite folktale, a slightly frantic but industrious hen finds the true meaning of Passover in spite of her lazy barnyard friends. Author’s Note, Recipe, Glossary.

Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter Alice was independent and outspoken, leaving her famous dad speechless on how to control her. e whimsical story brings a reality to presidents and their families.

In this gentle, humorous Hanukkah tale, Lady Sadie sends her eight knights (Sirs Alex, Gabriel, Margaret, Julian, Lily, Henry, Isabella, and Rugelach, each with an appropriate emblem on their armor) out to fix things in the kingdom with "some deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery" (oh yeah, there's also a dragon named Dreadful they'll need to take care of). The knights go off singly and in pairs (except for Sir Henry, who helps clean the castle and brings his mother tea), doing good deeds such as carving a new dreidel for a child, helping peel potatoes for latkes, and of course hunting down Dreadful - who turns out to be a baby dragon named Rosie, who is then invited to celebrate the last night Hanukkah.

See also: Serious Trouble by Arthur Howard; Kugel for Hanukkah by Gretchen M. Everin

The whole kingdom has gathered to celebrate Hanukkah--but a dastardly dragon keeps interrupting the festivities. Can the Eight Knights of Hanukkah set things right?

The narrator's Uncle Jake practices blowing the shofar - the ram's horn used during the Jewish High Holy Days - in this simple holiday picture-book intended for younger, preschool children. The narrative describes one family's observance of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), while a very brief author's note at the rear gives more information...

Apparently the family in Sound the Shofar!: A Story for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur has also appeared in Leslie Kimmelman's Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah Nights and Hooray! It's Passover, neither of which I have read to date. Although I wouldn't describe it as particularly strong, in the storytelling department, I do think this book would work very well as a basic introduction to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for younger children. The accompanying artwork by John Himmelman is cute, although (like the text) not particularly noteworthy. Recommended to those seeking simple picture-books about the Jewish High Holy Days.

In the pink light of evening, a fruit bat wakes up in the jungle. He is surprised to find out that he is not alone on his branch! He has been joined by a two-toed sloth. Bat wants Sloth to leave - it's his branch - but Sloth thinks they can share and even be friends.
After they have realized they do have some things in common and can be friends, they explore what they can do together. They look for games they can play and help each other when they're in danger. When Bat bumps into Sloth, they have an argument, but eventually become friends again.

This is an intermediate easy reader with the classic "odd couple" set up, although I don't remember ever seeing a bat and a sloth in this mix-up before! Both are somewhat anthropomorphic, in that they talk, argue, and form a friendship, but they also live a fairly natural life, eating their normal food, living in a tree, and avoiding predators.

Braun's cartoon illustrations are full of slick color and gentle humor, that fits the quiet, peaceful tone of the book well. The reading level is intermediate, about a 400 lexile probably, and I'd recommend this to readers who like the classic Frog and Toad, Henry and Mudge, or Cork and Fuzz, rather than the more raucous Fly Guy.

Verdict: A good addition if you need more intermediate readers.

ISBN: 9780807505854; Published April 2020 by Albert Whitman; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

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