"A wonderful addition to any collection of multicultural children's literature." --School Library Journal
"A lovely book to read aloud at the start of a fresh new year." --Jewish Book Council
"This authentic Jewish story is unique in connecting tradition with family farming.” --The Sydney Taylor Shmooze
This count down to the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah explores life and celebration on a family farm through the eyes of a young girl allowed to help with preparations for the first time.
It’s just three days until the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. A young girl and her family are getting ready for the traditional holiday feast. Family and friends gather to help harvest and clean the fall root vegetables, mix them with honey and dried fruits, and cook them into the traditional sweet vegetable stew, called tzimmes, ‘for a sweet new year.’ It’s hard but satisfying work that leaves everyone with aching arms, sore feet and happy hearts. When Rosh Hashanah morning arrives, they join together at the synagogue to hear the shofar, the horn that is blown to announce that the holiday has arrived. Back at home on their farm with a diverse group of friends and neighbors, they celebrate both a new year and the joy of being together.
This food and farm-focused story is sweetened by illustrations full of cheerful colors and textured patterns. Award-winning author Megan Hoyt helps readers explore both culturally specific Rosh Hashanah practices and life on a small family farm, while providing a universal message of community and tradition.
"A wonderful addition to any collection of multicultural children's literature." --School Library Journal
"A lovely book to read aloud at the start of a fresh new year." --Jewish Book Council
"This authentic Jewish story is unique in connecting tradition with family farming.” --The Sydney Taylor Shmooze
This count down to the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah explores life and celebration on a family farm through the eyes of a young girl allowed to help with preparations for the first time.
It’s just three days until the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. A young girl and her family are getting ready for the traditional holiday feast. Family and friends gather to help harvest and clean the fall root vegetables, mix them with honey and dried fruits, and cook them into the traditional sweet vegetable stew, called tzimmes, ‘for a sweet new year.’ It’s hard but satisfying work that leaves everyone with aching arms, sore feet and happy hearts. When Rosh Hashanah morning arrives, they join together at the synagogue to hear the shofar, the horn that is blown to announce that the holiday has arrived. Back at home on their farm with a diverse group of friends and neighbors, they celebrate both a new year and the joy of being together.
This food and farm-focused story is sweetened by illustrations full of cheerful colors and textured patterns. Award-winning author Megan Hoyt helps readers explore both culturally specific Rosh Hashanah practices and life on a small family farm, while providing a universal message of community and tradition.
Megan Hoyt is the winner of the 2017 SCBWI Work in Progress Award
and serves as Membership Coordinator for the SCBWI Carolinas
region. Megan's debut picture book, Bartali's Bicycle
(February 2021) has garnered many accolades, including being
selected as a National Jewish Book Award finalist and placed on the
Master List for the Texas Bluebonnet Award. Megan has three
more non-fiction picture books forthcoming, also with
HarperCollins: The Greatest Song of All: How Violinist Isaac Stern
United the World to Save Carnegie Hall, A Grand Idea: How William
J. Wilgus Created The Grand Central Terminal, and Kati’s Tiny
Messengers: Dr. Kati Kariko and the Fight Against
Covid-19. When she is not writing, she loves to swim, walk
beside the Catawba river, and read. She lives in Charlotte,
North Carolina.
Christine Battuz received her master of fine arts degree from the
Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia, Italy. She has illustrated more
than sixty children’s books, including Jackie and Jesse and Joni
and Jae, by Christine Barash. She teaches art to adults and
children. She was born in France and now lives in Quebec, Canada.
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