A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben

“ Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam” by Fawzia Gilani-Williams introduces a Muslim woman and a Jewish woman, both religious, who are neighbors in Israel and take pains to care for one another when their lives become more difficult. Two picture books from 2018 offered welcome depictions of friendships between Jews and Muslims. Here are a few examples from 2010s that are deserving of another look. Jewish children’s books can sometimes lag in the storytelling department, but I appreciate that they are often emphatic in communicating ethical aspirations. And we found more portrayals of strong women, including picture book biographies of Clara Lemlich, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Gloria Steinem directed at young readers. The decade saw the publication of books acknowledging families with same-sex parents, books portraying Jewish children with autism, and books with dramatically increased representation of Jewish ethnic and racial diversity. In the field of Jewish books, it was a decade in which American Jewry started to be reflected more accurately in books for young children.

A gem.Books coverage is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos.Īs a new decade arrives, one of my first impulses is to reflect on the one we have just left behind. Completing the educational effort are two succinct informational sheets on both Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan along with two recipes for each tradition. Amini's vibrant collages capture both the busyness of the neighborhood and the growing friendship between the families. Author Zalben and illustrator Amini are immensely successful in creating parallels between the two boys' lives, with each aspect mirrored both in the narrative and graphically. The kids' mothers are not indifferent to the developing camaraderie and agree to a picnic bringing the two families together to enjoy rugelach and date cookies. Hassan for Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Feldman for Rosh Hashanah, the holiday celebrating the Jewish New Year, and Mrs. Weeks pass, and they return to the store, Mrs.

They are also quick to realize that they share more than just a similar look and have the same-at times reckless-passion for sweets and bouncing balls. Because of their similar curly dark hair, brown eyes, and olive-toned skin, Moe and Mo are mistaken for twins by the store owner, who gives them each a falafel. Moe and Mo meet by chance at the grocery store where their moms happen to be shopping. The tale of a nascent friendship between Moses Feldman and Mohammed Hassan, two kids from Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, New York they have different backgrounds.yet so many things in common.

A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben