Here is The World

Every child has THAT book. The book they keep shoving at their parents, over and over again, begging for a reading. Typically said book is reserved for bedtime bribery. Sometimes it is hidden to preserve parental sanity. My personal favorite is when an older sibling is paid to read THE BOOK to the little sibling. Yet there is one book that I will happily read each and every time. That book is Here is the World written by Leslea Newman and Illustrated by Susan Gal.

From the cover picture of a happy family romping near a tree to the descriptions of each holiday, this book fills me with nostalgia. Perhaps it is because the curly haired mom favors dresses and boots like me. Perhaps it is the inclusion of even minor holidays like Tu B’shvat, which I delight in celebrating. Or maybe it is the depiction of a baby naming ceremony for a little girl. Maybe it’s all of those things put together. All I know is reading this book, with a small person cuddled onto my lap, feels like coming home to a warm bowl of soup and a snugly afghan.

The text is a simple primer to Jewish holidays for children and adults alike. No prior knowledge is necessary, but for those who do already celebrate these days it can be a way to open a discussion on family traditions. Talk about holidays you enjoy. Find the activities that are meaningful for your family. Use the pages as a stepping stone on your journey, not an end point.

Observance, and family, can come in many different flavors. This book is appropriate for them all. To the point where I have actually volunteered to read it for the umpteenth time to a child looking for a story.

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E Broderick is a writer and speculative fiction enthusiast. When not writing she enjoys epic games of trivial pursuit and baking. She currently lives in the U.S. but is eagerly awaiting the day a sentient spaceship offers to take her traveling around the galaxy.