My first Jewish Baby Book … From Afikomen to Zayde by Julie Merberg, illustrated by Beck Feiner; Downtown Bookworks © 2018; ISBN 9781941-367605; 28 hard pages; $10.99.
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Is there a word in Yiddish for smorgasbord? If there were, it might be perfect to describe the contents of this charming “first Jewish baby book” that will be so fun for parents and grandparents to read to the toddlers in their family. I can just imagine the interesting conversations, beyond the simple rhymes in the book, that one might have with little ones about such words as “babka,” “challah,” “dreidel,” “gelt,” “hamantaschen,” “Israel,” “Jewish,” “kreplach,” “latkes,” “menorah,” “oy vey,” “Passover,” “Queen Esther,” “rabbi,” “shofar,” “tzedakah,” “unleavened,” “verklempt,” and “Yiddish,” to name but a few of the terms that find their way into this book’s alphabetical rhymes.
In addition to Merberg’s word stories, there are important picture lessons drawn by Feiner as well. We see that Jews come in different colors, ages, and genders; that there are some foods we love to eat, and some foods our religion frowns upon. We see such symbols of Judaism as a shofar, a Pesach plate, a covered challah, a tzedakah box with a Star of David, and a bagel.
As I read through this book, I wondered just how author Merberg would handle the ever troublesome letter X. She chose to picture a xylophone, with the caption “Jews love music.” I think I might have tried something like eXodus, but perhaps that is too heavy a topic for toddlers.
Merberg and Feiner make a good team; their collaboration will be a delight not only for the baby in your family, but for you, the lucky adult who will get to read it aloud over and over, while baby sits on your lap.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com