{Guest Post by Kalaniot Books}
The Melody by Oded Burla and illustrated by Assaf Benharroch (3/8/22; ISBN: 978-1-7350875-5-9; Hardcover $19.99; Ages 3-8; 32 pages)
In this charming story, a mother sings a special melody to her child. So too, each Jew is meant to teach Torah to the next generation, keeping its melodies alive. In this way, the song is eternal. The Melody by Oded Burla and illustrated by Assaf Benharroch (3/8/22; ISBN: 978-1-7350875-5-9; Hardcover $19.99; Ages 3-8; 32 pages) invites us all to sing along.
This seems to be a simple story of a melody in search of a singer, but look a little closer and you will find echoes of an ancient Jewish tale. According to a two-thousand-year-old commentary on the Bible, God offers the Torah, the Hebrew Bible, to all the people of the ancient world. Each nation decides not to accept the Torah because it cannot abide by its laws. But when the Torah is presented to the Jews on Mount Sinai, they welcome it. Ever since then, the Torah has been the song of the Jewish people, and in every generation, its melodies are sung by new voices. A beautiful bedtime read-aloud, by an award-winning author and illustrator. This book was a Sifriyat Pijama selection in Israel, now in English with a delightful new translation.
Oded Burla was an Israeli writer, poet, and artist. Burla wrote and illustrated 70 books. He is considered one of the founders of children’s literature in Hebrew.
Assaf Benharroch is an Israeli illustrator and artist. Benharroch is a partner and art director at Studio Poink and teaches digital illustration at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. He lives with his wife and three young sons in the Israeli countryside. Find him online at https://assafillustration.com/.
Ilana Kurshan, translator, is the author of If All the Seas Were Ink, published by St. Martin’s Press and winner of the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. Find her online at https://ilanakurshan.com/.
A Persian Passover by Etan Basseri and illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh (3/8/22; ISBN: 978-1-7350875-6-6; Hardcover $19.99; Ages 6-11; 32 pages)
In A Persian Passover by Etan Basseri and illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh (3/8/22; ISBN: 978-1-7350875-6-6; Hardcover $19.99; Ages 6-11; 32 pages), Ezra and Roza are helping to prepare for their Passover celebration. Ezra is proud to be in charge of bringing his family’s flour to the synagogue to be baked into matzah in a traditional wood-burning oven. But when Ezra makes a mistake and the matzah is ruined, what will he and his sister Roza, do? Join the siblings as they experience the sights, smells, sounds, and unique traditions of a seder in Iran of the 1950s.
This book highlights the often-overlooked traditions of Iranian Jews, depicting the richness of Mizrahi culture and showing how Jews of this region have combined local customs such as Nowuz, the Persian new year, into their own celebrations. Notes and a glossary provide an explanation of the Passover holiday and Persian customs, and a recipe for Persian-style Passover charoset, known as Hallaq in included.
While the symbols at Ezra and Roza’s Passover might differ from some readers’ homes they will surely recognize the familiar themes of strength, hope, and triumph over adversity. From a first-time #ownvoices author and award-winning Iranian-born illustrator.
Etan Basseri was born and raised in Berkeley, California with a mix of Persian and Ashkenazi Jewish customs. He now lives in Seattle with his wife and children, where he is always responsible for making the Passover charoset. This is his first book.
Rashin Kheiriyeh is an internationally recognized award-winning illustrator, author, and animator who has published over eighty children’s books and received fifty national and international awards, including the 2021 Sheila Barry Best Canadian picture book of the year, Sendak Fellowship, and Bologna Book Fair New Horizons Award. She has a master’s in graphic design and a doctorate in Illustration and is a lecturer in the art department of the University of Maryland. She lives in Washington, DC. Find her online at https://www.rashinart.com/.
About the publisher:
Kalaniot Books is an imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing that aims to introduce young readers to the rich mosaic of Jewish culture and history with books by Jewish authors and artists around the world. Their books offer families the tools to explore and celebrate the diversity of the Jewish community so that it can continue to flourish like the wild poppies, or “kalaniot,” that bloom in Israel every spring.
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