Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story: A Picture Book

Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story: A Picture Book

From award-winning author Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrator Zara González Hoang comes Measuring a Year , an engaging picture book about celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year. They offer a chance to think about the present and the past, to “measure” a year and ourselves. This sweet and thoughtful picture book, perfect for reading aloud, invites young readers and their families to take stock of the happy times and the occasional regrets, as well as the new friends made and new skills gained over the year. Happy New Year! Shana Tova! “The watercolor, colored pencil, and digital artwork portrays a diverse cast of children experiencing a variety of memorable moments throughout the year . . . [a] sweet, accessible book.” — School Library Journal Includes an author’s note featuring additional context about Rosh Hashanah and its customs. PreS-Gr 1-Sparse poetic text celebrates various changes and experiences throughout a year in this engaging, multicultural Rosh Hashanah book. The book starts with the question, "How do you measure a year?" It continues with, "By looking at how much you grew…or all the things you learned to do?" It proceeds in that vein, mentioning everything from making mistakes, to being brave, to having fun, to moving away. It culminates with, "Our lives have changed in many ways," and ends with thanks and celebration for the new year. The watercolor, colored pencil, and digital artwork portrays a diverse cast of children experiencing a variety of memorable moments throughout the year. These include sleeping in a sukkah, celebrating Purim, learning to tie shoes or ride a bike, planting a tree, getting a shot, or attending a wedding or bar mitzvah. The illustrations have a softness to them, depicting children who are portrayed in an engaging, slightly childlike style, with round eyes and faces. Different members of the cast appear on different pages, experiencing the various events of the text; all of the main players, including one girl in a wheelchair, return on the final spread. Hoang alternates between spreads and single-page scenes, with occasional spot art to move the story along. The book concludes with back matter that engagingly restates the question of the text and talks briefly about Rosh Hashanah. VERDICT This sweet, accessible book would be a lovely Rosh Hashanah addition to any library collection.-Amy Lilien-Harperα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "The watercolor, colored pencil, and digital artwork portrays a diverse cast of children experiencing a variety of memorable moments throughout the year. . .[a] sweet, accessible book." ― School Library Journal "The cheery art, created with watercolor, colored pencil, and Photoshop, presents a lovely display of humanity—perfect for a new year, every year, and every day." ― Kirkus Reviews "A gentle tribute to the hope and possibilities of new beginnings—in the New Year season, the opening of school, and even 'the start of each new day”: all are opportunities to “push the ‘reset’ button, and begin (once again) to be better.'"― Publishers Weekly "​Hoang’s warm and friendly colored pencil, watercolor, and digital cartoons have the inviting appeal of a scrapbook album, with detailed scenes full of relatable experiences, from learning to tie shoelaces to attending special community events like a wedding or bar mitzvah."― Booklist Linda Elovitz Marshall has been a sheep farmer, early childhood educator, anthropologist, and indie bookstore owner. Her books have been Sydney Taylor Notable Award winners, as well as Junior Library Guild, PJ Library, and National Science Teacher Association selections. Recent titles include Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dłuska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood; Brave Volodymyr: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for Ukraine; and The Mexican Dreidel (written with Ilan Stavans). She and her husband divide their time between an Adirondack cabin and a New York City apartment. Zara González Hoang is the illustrator of several picture books. She grew up in a little bungalow in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. Surrounded by snow, she spent her days dreaming, doodling, and listening to the colorful stories of her dad’s life growing up in Puerto Rico while navigating her place as a Puerto Rican Jew in a sea of Scandinavians. (She’s still figuring that out.) These days, she lives outside of Washington, DC, with her husband, their kids, and a curly coated corgi named Ziggy.