Ten Purim Bears: A Counting Book for Purim by Ron Atlas with illustrations by Zach Horvath; Oakland, California: The Collective Book Studio; © 2024; ISBN 9781685-552787; 24 pages; $9.95.
SAN DIEGO – One at a time, ten bears take their seats to watch a Purim shpiel. They all are dressed in costumes depicting a variety of occupations: baseball player, fire fighter; doctor; police officer, and so on.
As they sit down, author Atlas introduces them with a couplet: “Once a bear/ sat on a chair.” … “Who else is there?/ Look, it’s Anika Bear” … “Amari Bear/ had baked hamantaschen to share”
As each character is introduced, Horvath not only draws him or her, but also draws the previously mentioned bear cubs wriggling, jiggling, and wiggling on their chairs as they wait for the play to begin.
The chairs are set above the numbers 1 to 10, so that tykes for whom the book is meant to be read will recognize the numbers. Above the chairs at the top of the board pages are the numbers spelled in English.
This book serves to introduce numbers, a tiny bit about Purim, and costume choices. Purim 2015 begins at sunset on Thursday, March 13, and ends at nightfall on Friday, March 14.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World