On Sukkot and Simchat Torah

by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, Melanie Hall (Illustrator)

A family celebrates Sukkot and Simchat Torah, introducing the traditional ways these holidays are celebrated.

Genres: Picture Books, Jewish, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Shoshanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! Glad I read this just as Sukkot is starting! There is not a crazy or special plot, but basically it is telling the story, from a kid's perspective, of how she and her family celebrate Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret, and Simkhat Torah! The illustrations are pretty and help it feel like more story than instructional. Very pleasant, though maybe a lot of information unless your kids are already Jewish? Recommended, especially for teaching!

[Nikki Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Sukkot and Simchat Torah is a perfect book to introduce students to the Jewish Holiday. This book inflicts a wide variety of topics for students to think about, question and consider. This book is age-appropriate and can easily be understood based off what is represented. Its plot is not necessarily thick, but it is rich with information. The characters are convincing enough to believe that this holiday can be celebrated by any person who is accustom to the Jewish faith. The illustrations match the book in terms correspondence, interest level, and correlation to setting, plot, and the characters. They also enhance and add to the story. The characters are not presented in a negative light; therefore, no negative stereotypes are represented. Our family celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah live a genuine and complex life, and their speech is represented correctly concerning the culture the book represents. Both the illustrator and author come from Jewish backgrounds, so their knowledge is accurately represented, and from personal experiences. This is realistic fiction.

[Amy Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not too many picture books that describe modern-day Jews celebrating Sukkot, but this is one that we have enjoyed. The Feast of Tabernacles is a feast given in the Mosaic law to remember the days of sojourning in the wilderness, and the prophet Zechariah looks forward to a day in which all peoples will celebrate the feast.

As a Christian, I see Jesus Christ fulfilling this feast partially upon his Incarnation and fully upon His return, when we will abide with him forever. For modern Jews, this feast is a harvest feast remembering the time of sojourning, celebrating the goodness of God to provide in harvest, and reading the Torah together. After the high holy days of Rose Hashanna and Yom Kippur, and the somber repentance of those holidays, Sukkot is a festival of joy.

Another picture book featuring Sukkot is Tikvah Means Hope, by Patricia Polacco.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fiction book about the Jewish traditions of Sukkot and Simchat Torah. It follows a little boy as he helps his family prepare for these events. This book can be used to teach imagery in literacy. It uses words like "I can smell the goodness of fruit and sweet leaves in the air" to help the read imagine what it feels like to be in the story. The author of this book has written other books about Jewish traditions that would be great to study further into the Jewish culture. The author does a great job explaining the tradition in story form for a child to understand. The illustrations correspond to the text and enhance the story for the reader. This book can teach about these Jewish traditions and lead to learning about other Jewish traditions within the religion.