Story books for children about Sukkot
Ellie Gellman: Tamar’s Sukkah
Most of this 32 page booklet is filled with images printed in simple, pleasant 5 colors, drawn by Katherine Janus Kahn. They accompany the story that goes along at the bottom of the pages, 2-3 lines at a time. It tells the story of Tamar, who kept feeling that something was missing from the Sukkah she helped to build in the backyard. She collects her friends one by one who put together everything that is required for a proper Sukkah: “walls and a roof, branches and decorations, table and chairs, snacks and juice… and friends.” This sweet little volume is appropriate for toddlers.
Barbara Diamond Goldin: Night lights: A Sukkot Story
This book would be much less fearsome without Louse August’s oil and pastel paintings. But as the story mostly revolves around Daniel, a young boy trying to overcome his fear of the dark, it looks pretty stark. Daniel challenges himself and his sister to sleep this time without fear in the Sukkah, unlike last year, when only grandpa’s signing could help them to fall asleep. After not being able to convince his father to put real roof on their Sukkah and after having a nice warm family meal out there comes the night. These pages are filled with black ages and monstrous dogs and bear (with the text in white to provide enough contrast for legibility.) Eventually they fall asleep and all is well, and our protagonists grew a little again through their experiences. The last page has an explanation about the meaning and history of the Sukkah. The book was written for children age four and above, but I think an adult should make sure that they do not get too scared by it and reach the happy end. I.e. do not get stuck in the dark middle section
Patricia Polacco: Tikvah Means Hope
The book was inspired by the true events of a devastating fire in Oakland in the early 1990’s, where 25 people died and 3400 homes were destroyed. But the focus of the book is on the Sukkah which was built and used right before the fire broke out. Several days later, when the people could return they saw that the Sukkah miraculously did not burn down, so they celebrated altogether the festival in it. The other miracle, referred to in the title was the survival of a cat called Tikvah, the word meaning hope in Hebrew. According to the author’s website the book is aimed for children between 4 and 8, but I would recommend reading it for the upper end of the spectrum.
Sadie Rose Weilerstein: K’Tonton’s Sukkot Adventure
K’tonton (meaning very, very little), the thumbsized son whose arrival blessed a couple late in their life, was introduced in this book by Weilerstein,and was followed by at least four others: in the circus, in Israel, Yom Kippur kitten, on an island in the sea. His miraculous birth was connected to Sukkot as the mother had to bite of the ritual etrog on the last day of the holiday to conceive. A few years later he climbs into the etrog box his father carries to the synagogue so he could see it for the very first time. Once there he gets out, marvels at its beauty, climbs on the top of the lulav, but gets discovered when his shrilling voices joins the prayers. That’s about the whole storyline. A short glossary at the end helps to decipher the Hebrew words and phrases for the uninitiated. This feature and the sweet story makes it a good introduction for children aged 3 to 6 to concepts like, etrog, hosahnot, lulav… Joe Boddy’s black and white drawings are well integrated into the book.
Leave a comment