Books

In an effort to diversify the Jewish representation in our Religious School curriculum, we've compiled a list of pictures books with Jewish content that include Jews of color and Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews. Most of these books are available in the Minuteman and Boston Public Library systems, and many are also in the CDT library.

The list is as comprehensive as we could make it, and the presence of a book on this list doesn't necessarily mean we recommend it. Please be sure to read the comments, and if you have something to add please be in touch!

For a list of books organized by topic, click here.

Have comments or feedback about the list? We'd love to hear from you! Please email Lidia at L.Pruente@dorsheitzedek.org.

Jackie and Jesse and Joni and Jae
By: Chris Barash
Illustrated by: Christine Battuz
Age range: 5-7
Subject: High Holydays
Synopsis: Jackie and Jesse and Joni and Jae walked down to the river one fine autumn day. Neighbors and friends and the rabbi went too. There was something called tashlich they needed to do. On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, four friends reflect on mistakes they ve made in the past year, they apologize for hurting each other s feelings, and they think about how they will do better in the new year. The title characters in this gentle story model character traits including friendship, honesty, compassion, and empathy, while exploring a lesser-known Jewish holiday tradition.

Lidia's comments: This book has a main character who is a Jew of color, and does a nice job of modeling conflict resolution. We recommend it to our Religious School teachers for lessons specifically relating to taschlich.

Ezra's BIG Shabbat Question
By: Aviva L. Brown
Illustrated by: Anastasia Kanavaliuk
Age Range: 6-10
Subject: Shabbat
Synopsis: Meet Ezra, an American Jewish boy with big ideas and an even bigger family. He has a question about if he can do an action on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. When no one he knows is helpful, he turns to his rabbi, who both answers the question and leaves him more confused. Even if he gets his answer, will he know what to do with it?

Lidia's comments: Although the book seems a bit contrived at times, it's a nice story. We like this one because it's one of the few books that's both about and written by a Jew of color. It's not available at the public library yet, but you can borrow it from us!

Marjorie's comments: A delightful book about Shabbat – with a big question concerning what Jews can and can’t do on Shabbat. It’s great to see illustrations of a family with different shades of brown skin! Languages, like Yiddish, French, German, appear through contributions of the family’s cat. This book portrays not only a Jews of Color, but it reminds us that there different ways to practice Judaism.

I Love Jewish Faces
By: Debra B. Darvick
Age range: 4-8
Subject: Misc.
Synopsis: In ninety-four words and thirty-plus photos, I Love Jewish Faces turns the image of the Yiddishe punim (Jewish face) on its head. Debra Darvick s delightful picture book mirrors today s emerging Jewish reality: a Jewish face is dark-haired and dark-eyed and blonde and blue-eyed. A Jewish face belongs to a Chinese adoptee and to a newborn from Guatamala. It s the face of an African American convert and that of a festively dressed bride from India. I Love Jewish Faces sings the long overdue song of Jewish diversity with passion, honesty, and celebration. Children adopted from other countries need to see themselves in their Jewish books, says Darvick. Their friends and classmates need reminding that not all Jewish faces resemble those of European Jews. I Love Jewish Faces affirms identity, embraces diversity, and celebrates Jewish life, all in one remarkable little book.

Lidia's comments:

Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas
By: Pamela Ehrenberg
Illustrated by: Anjan Sarkar
Age range: 4-7
Subject: Chanukah
Synopsis: In this sweet and humorous picture book, Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas, a multi-cultural family (Mom's Indian; Dad's Jewish) celebrate Hanukkah while incorporating traditional Indian food. Instead of latkes, this family celebrates Hanukkah with tasty Indian dosas. To her brother's chagrin, little Sadie won't stop climbing on everything both at home and at the Indian grocery store, even while preparing the dosas. As the family puts the finishing touches on their holiday preparations, they accidentally get locked out of the house. Sadie and her climbing skills just may be exactly what is needed to save the day.

Lidia's comments: ​​​​​​​

Always an Olivia: A Remarkable Family History
By: Carolivia Herron
Illustrated by: Jeremy Tugeau
Age range: 7-10
Subject: Misc.
Synopsis: An elderly black grandmother passes on the story of the family’s Jewish origins to her young granddaughter, Carol Olivia. As family members flee the Spanish Inquisition, are kidnapped by pirates and eventually sail to America, one daughter in each generation is given the name Olivia, from the Hebrew Shulamit meaning “peace,” to honor the Jewish part of their ancestry. Critically-acclaimed author Carolivia Herron (Nappy Hair) shares this engaging, multicultural tale is based on her own family's heritage.

Lidia's comments: I read this a long time ago and can't remember if the characters in this book identify as Jewish, but they certainly identify as having Jewish heritage. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, Herron's "contribution to representations of Jews of color in children’s literature was recognized with Be’chol Lashon’s Media Award for Always an Olivia: A Remarkable Family History (2007) in which she traces her own lineage to Sephardic Jews who found refuge on the Georgia coast in a community of descendants of enslaved Africans."

Never Say a Mean Word Again
By: Jacqueline Jules
Illustrated by: Durga Yael Bernhard
Age range: 4-8
Subject: Morality
Synopsis: No one ignores the grand vizier. The most important advisor in the royal court, he was considered the wisest man in the kingdom. He was also Samuel s father. Make sure Hamza never says a mean word to you again, he had ordered Samuel. What should Samuel do? He couldn't disobey his father. But how would he make sure that Hamza never insulted him again? Perhaps train a monkey to hold Hamza s lips closed, or give him some lemon juice to make his mouth pucker? Inspired by a powerful legend of conflict resolution in Muslim Spain, Never Say a Mean Word Again is the compelling story of a boy who is given permission to punish an enemy. What will he do?"

Lidia's comments: It's a book about conflict resolution and saying nice things to each other! Perfect for lessons on lashon hara; we recommend it to our Religious School teachers for our second grade curriculum. 

Marjorie's comments: A story about friendship between a Muslim boy and a Jewish boy that reminds us that playing together is a great way to create friendships. This story is based on a Spanish medieval legend.

A Turn for Noah: A Hanukkah Story
By: Susan Remick Topek
Illustrated by: Sally Springer
Age range: 2-4
Subject: Chanukah
Synopsis: Noah has trouble learning to spin the dreidel as his nursery school class celebrates Hanukkah.

Lidia's comments: One of the kids illustrated in the background appears to be a Jew of color.

Let's Talk About Race
By: Julius Lester
Illustrated by: Karen Barbour
Age range: 4-8
Subject: Misc.
Synopsis: I am a story. So are you. So is everyone. Julius Lester says, "I write because our lives are stories. If enough of these stories are told, then perhaps we will begin to see that our lives are the same story. The differences are merely in the details." Now Mr. Lester shares his own story as he explores what makes each of us special. Karen Barbour's dramatic, vibrant paintings speak to the heart of Lester's unique vision, truly a celebration of all of us.

Lidia's comments: This book doesn't have Jewish content per se, but it's one of the few I could find by a Jew of Color.

Be'chol Lashon published a review, along with a read aloud video and discussion questions.

Why is Heaven Far Away?
By: Julius Lester
Illustrated by: Joe Cepeda
Age range: 4-8
Subject: Misc.
Synopsis: God, His wife Irene, His secretary Bruce, & the angel Shaniqua have a problem to solve. When God gives Snakes poison to protect themselves, He doesn't expect them to bite everything in sight. Now all at once people & animals are climbing up the ladders connecting heaven & earth, & creating chaos in God's kingdom! But with a little help from Shaniqua & Irene & their beautiful singing voices, God has everyone dancing down the ladders to earth. The snakes get other kinds of defenses (& a talking to), & the ladders get pulled up to prevent further ruckuses, which is why heaven is far away.

Lidia's comments: The personification of God seems a bit non-Jewish, but it's a nice story and could perhaps be used to teach about midrash. If you're planning to read this book out load, I'd ask you to think about verbal blackface and make sure you're being respectful.

The Chameleon that Saved Noah's Ark
By: Yael Molchadsky
Illustrated by: Orit Bergman
Age range: 5-8
Subject: Bible Stories

Synopsis:Striking folk-art-style paintings illustrate this charming tale about the purpose of every creature and the harmony of nature.

Lidia's comments: In this book, the sons of Noah have a variety of different skin tones.

A Tale of Two Seders
By: Mindy Avra Portnoy
Illustrated by: Valeria Cis
Age range: 4-9
Subject: Passover
Synopsis: When her parents get divorced, a little girl is worried about many things, including how she will celebrate the Jewish holidays in two different households. They holiday of Passover gives her a chance to celebrate separately with each parent. Over the course of three years and six seders, she and her family work to adjust to this new world, creating happy new lives and new family traditions.

Lidia's comments: While the background characters have a variety of skin tones, I don't know how I feel that the only obvious person of color in this book is a toy doll.

Abuelita's Secret Matzahs
By: Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Illustrated by: Diana Bryer
Age range: 4-8
Subject: Misc.
Synopsis: Abuelita’s Secret Matzahs tells the fascinating and little-known story of the Cryptojews, while illustrating the universal importance of faith for people of all religious denominations. Jacobo loves to visit his abuelita, his grandmother, especially at Easter time. But Abuelita has a big secret. During semana santa, Holy Week, his grandmother never makes bread, only tortillas made without yeast. She never eats pork, and she lights two candles on Friday nights. But whenever Jacobo asks her questions, she answers, "Ah, mijito, my child, it is the way of our family." One day, Abuelita is finally ready to share her secret. "Sit with me on the porch. It is time to tell you the secret of our family . . ."

Lidia's comments: I'm not sure if the characters in this book identify as Jewish, but they certainly identify as having Jewish heritage. 

Day of Delight: A Jewish Sabbath in Ethiopia
By: Maxine Rose Schur
Illustrated by: J. Brian Pinkney
Age range: 6-10
Subject: Shabbat
Synopsis: Depicting a culture that is quickly vanishing, the story of the Ethiopian Jews is told through the eyes of a young boy as his family and friends prepare for the sabbath or "day of delight." The spare, poetic text evokes an Ethiopian Jewish village as seen through the eyes of a villager boy on one Sabbath day. Illustrated by Caldecott Award winner Brian Pinkney.

Lidia's comments: While it's important to teach about Jewish practices from all over the globe, it's also important to have representation of Jews of color in our community and not to exoticize people of color. I'm cautious of the attitude that while European Jews have embraced modernization beyond the shtetl life, Jews of color have some kind of obligation to preserve white people's notion of a pure, pre-industrialized past.

Marjorie's comments: A lyrical, beautifully illustrated story of the life of the child-narrator and his family in Ethiopia as they prepare for the arrival of Shabbat.

What Makes Someone a Jew?
By: Lauren Seidman
Age range: 5-6
Subject: Misc.
Synopsis:  Is being Jewish a matter of how you look, or how you live? Using everyday examples that children can relate to, this colorful book helps all young Jewish readers understand what it really means to be a Jew. A vibrant and fun way for children to develop a broader knowledge of Judaism and the Jewish People, this book gently guides children down their own path of Jewish spiritual discovery … and reminds us all that being Jewish is about our deeds, thoughts, and heart

Lidia's comments: 

Apple Days: A Rosh Hashanah Story
By: Allison Sarnoff Soffer
Illustrated by: Bob McMahon
Age range: 2-7
Subject: High Holydays
Synopsis:  Katy's favorite holiday is Rosh Hashanah, when she gets to pick apples and make applesauce with her mother. But what happens when the tradition is interrupted by the early arrival of her baby cousin?

Lidia's comments: I think one of the background characters in the illustrations appears to be a Jew of color.

The Best Sukkot Pumpkin Ever
By: Laya Steinberg
Illustrated by: Colleen Madden
Age range: 4-9
Subject: Sukkot
Synopsis:   It's almost Sukkot, and Micah and his family are heading to Farmer Jared's pumpkin patch. Micah wants to find the very best pumpkin to decorate his family's sukkah, but Farmer Jared says his pumpkins can also go to a soup kitchen, to feed people who need a good meal. What will Micah decide to do with the best Sukkot pumpkin ever?

Marjorie's comments: This is a lovely story about a boy and his family’s experience of Sukkot that is a nice presentation of the holiday. There are a few (1-2) illustrations of children of the global majority (children of color).

When God Made Light
By: Matthew Paul Turner
Illustrated by: David Catrow
Age range: 3-7
Subject: Bible Stories
Synopsis: Let there be light!' that's what God said. And light began shining and then started to spread." Wild and creative illustrations from top children's illustrator David Catrow pair with Matthew Paul Turner's lyrical verse in this message of a God-made light that cuts through darkness to bring vision and hope to all young readers. This light radiates, chasing away the shadows, providing the wonder and fun of stargazing or firefly chasing. Most important, this light appears in each child--an inner God-given spark that grows and will be used to change the world.

Lidia's comments: 

Hillel Takes a Bath
By: Vicki L. Weber
Illustrated by: John Joven
Age range: 5-6
Subject: Morality
Synopsis:  Today I will use this cloth to do a mitzvah! Hillel the Sage announced to his class. He whisked the cloth off his shoulder and snapped it in the air. The rabbi s students were puzzled and delighted. What could be done with a cloth? What mysterious mitzvah could it be? Through this charming story about the famous Hillel of the Talmud, readers will enjoy discovering that the mysterious mitzvah is taking a bath! The note for families at the back of the book will help readers dig deeper and let them think more about the Jewish value of guarding one s health, shmor et nafshecha, and how having healthy habits (like taking baths) is an important Jewish value.

Lidia's comments: Hillel has a few students with a variety of skin tones, who follow him throughout the book. Our second graders really enjoyed this book for their lesson on shmirat haguf, taking care of the body.

The Enduring Ark
By: Joydeb Chitrakar and Gita Wolf
Age range: 6-9
Subject: Bible Stories
Synopsis:  Although dubbed an "Indian version of the Biblical tale," Wolf's narrative differs little from many available picture books about Noah. Disappointed by greedy, violent people, God vows to wipe out creation and start again. Noah and his wife build an ark, gather animals, and survive the flood that destroys every other living thing. Forty days later, they land on a mountain. After a dove returns with an olive branch, everyone disembarks. God thanks the weary humans by creating a rainbow as a sign of hope.

Lidia's comments: This follows the basic biblical text and storyline, but with an Indian art style. The pages fold out accordion-style, so you can unfold the whole thing to see how the images tell the story. It's pretty cool for read aloud and art gallery activities, but can be confusing for young kids reading the book independently.

Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel
By: Laura Gehl
Illustrated by: Sarah Goodreau
Age range: 4-7
Subject: Misc.
Synopsis: "Anyone who knows 'The Tortoise and the Hare' probably remembers the moral: Slow and steady wins the race. This version of the story has a second moral: Go to Israel. In this picture book, the title characters are friends who live in Tel Aviv, and they're racing each other to the Dead Sea. Hare keeps getting distracted by the local sights. He stops by the shuk to buy dried apricots. He sits down in an oasis to enjoy tea and baklava. Readers will sympathize. Every page is full of so many wonderful distractions that the book feels like an ad for the Israeli tourist industry. If readers look closely at the artwork, they'll see a bear on top of a unicycle, juggling as it rides, and a cat floating in the water, reading the paper. Instead of teaching the value of slow and steady progress, this version of the fable says: Stop and look around; there are olive groves and persimmon trees. The book is full of mixed messages, but if the moral is confused, readers won't mind. There are animals everywhere: whales and ravens and swimming camels. They're made up of bold, geometric shapes in gorgeous pastel colors. If the story teaches any lesson at all, it's this: A short attention span can be a glorious thing, particularly in a place like this." -- Kirkus Reviews

Lidia's comments: