Miss Debby's Best-Loved Children's Books

The Charlotte Jewish News, May 2023

By Debby Block

We’ve all heard the adage about Jewish holidays: “They tried to kill us; we survived; let’s eat!” Jewish food is undoubtedly an intrinsic part of Jewish life. Almost every Jewish holiday is associated with the taste and smell of symbolic Jewish foods. Often our childhood memories of wonderful Jewish foods make us feel connected to Judaism throughout our lives. Happily, there are quality children’s books that connect these sensory food experiences to Jewish life and to positive Jewish values.

One of the most iconic Jewish foods is the bagel and “Bagels from Benny” by Aubrey Davis is a true classic that should be on every Jewish family’s bookshelf. Benny wants to thank God for creating all the ingredients that go into making bagels. One Friday morning, Benny goes to the synagogue and puts a bag of fresh bagels into the Ark with the Torahs. On Shabbat morning, Benny sees the bagels are gone, and he assumes God has eaten the bagels. After weeks of delivering bagels to the ark, Benny and his grandfather discover that an impoverished man in a tattered coat has regularly been taking the bagels. Benny is devastated, but his grandfather helps him to realize that he has been doing a mitzvah, and that was the best thanks that God could ever receive. Recommended for ages 4-8.

Perhaps gefilte fish is an acquired taste, but the book “Five Little Gefiltes” by Dave Horowitz immediately jumped its way into my heart! Based on the traditional children’s finger play “5 Little Ducks,” Horowitz has created a hilarious Jewish version with gefiltes dressed in bowler hats. The little gefiltes have delightful adventures around the Lower East Side of New York City. But one by one, they do not return home and each time their distressed Yiddish mama yells “Oy vey!” This tongue-in-cheek book is as much fun for parents and grandparents as it is for any preschooler.

One of my newly discovered gems is “Mr. Mintz’s Blintzes” by Leslie Kimmelman. Mr. Mintz is always doing good deeds, like bringing chicken soup to a neighbor with a cold. Mr. Mintz is particularly famous for his delicious blintzes. When Mr. Mintz has an accident, right before Shavuot, everyone in the neighborhood, not only takes care of Mr. Mintz but also makes a mountain of delicious apple-cheese blintzes, using Mr. Mintz’s recipe. Leslie Kimmelman,—who is the author of 36 children’s books including “The Rabbi Slurps Spaghetti,” “The Shabbat Puppy,” and “The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah”—has once again created a book that connects kids to Jewish values in a positive and memorable way. Recommended all year round for ages 3-7.

If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again! Rivka and her modern-day grandmother decide to make challah together, but their first attempt is quite a failure. They keep trying and trying until they successfully bake a delicious challah! In “Bubbie and Rivka’s Best-Ever Challah (SoFar!)” by Sarah Lynne Reul, we explore a beautiful Shabbat tradition and discover the bene- fits of resilience. This intergenerational book may inspire kids to bake challah from the recipe at the back of the book. I recommend “Bubbie and Rivka’s Best-Ever Challah (So Far!)” for children ages 3-7, and, don’t forget to share the book with your bubbie.

For the perfect combination of food and fiction, I recommend “Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook.” This collection of Jewish folk tales is a collaboration of the award-winning Jane Yolen —who has written or edited over 350 books— and her daughter Heidi Stemple. The classic Yiddish tales and the recipes go hand-in-hand to excite readers and budding chefs about related Jewish values. Some of the child-friendly recipes included in “Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts” are latkes, challah, matzo brei, noodle kugel, and cheesecake. Recommended for ages 7-12. All these best-loved books and many more terrific books and cookbooks are waiting for you and your children at the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library. Please visit us today or contact us to reserve a copy! (704) 9446783 or library@jewishcharlotte. org.