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Rising
A quiet, joyful story celebrating a Jewish mother’s tradition of making challah with her child merges a lyrical text with stunning illustrations—and includes the author’s favorite recipe.
Melt into the nooks and crannies of this book’s unhurried pages, offering a place to rest and a pregnant pause for counting your many blessings—current and imminent! Here, a child and a mother measure, mix, knead, shape, and tuck their dough under a towel like a sleeping baby. Then, as they do every week, they wait while their dough rises, soon to be baked and gratefully shared at a Shabbat gathering with loved ones. Author Sidura Ludwig’s poetic narration captures the experience of a Jewish family as they make challah—a lesson in patience, slowing down, faith, and family. Illustrator Sophia Vincent Guy brings light and warmth to the scene, from a sun-bleached, gossamer curtain to the rising steam from the bread, all rendered in delicate, decorative patterns. Whatever their background, readers will be happy to find the author’s go-to recipe for challah at the end, along with a glossary and an author’s note describing the personal meaning of her family’s weekly ritual.
Melt into the nooks and crannies of this book’s unhurried pages, offering a place to rest and a pregnant pause for counting your many blessings—current and imminent! Here, a child and a mother measure, mix, knead, shape, and tuck their dough under a towel like a sleeping baby. Then, as they do every week, they wait while their dough rises, soon to be baked and gratefully shared at a Shabbat gathering with loved ones. Author Sidura Ludwig’s poetic narration captures the experience of a Jewish family as they make challah—a lesson in patience, slowing down, faith, and family. Illustrator Sophia Vincent Guy brings light and warmth to the scene, from a sun-bleached, gossamer curtain to the rising steam from the bread, all rendered in delicate, decorative patterns. Whatever their background, readers will be happy to find the author’s go-to recipe for challah at the end, along with a glossary and an author’s note describing the personal meaning of her family’s weekly ritual.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published May 14, 2024
About the author
Sidura Ludwig
7 books9 followersWriter. Story finder. Strong Tea Drinker. Challah baker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 8, 2024
A wonderful picture that honors the weekly celebration of Shabbat.
August 24, 2025
Beautiful pictures, warm story of family joy, tradition and togetherness.
March 21, 2026
An excellent book. Expertly written and beautifully illustrated. Perfect for any child not just Jewish.
June 2, 2024
Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus
A child and mother start the long and interesting process of making challah in their sun filled kitchen. The bring out their favorite bowl, mix the ingredients, wait for the dough to rise, braid it, and smell the delicious aromas as it bakes. After the bread has cooled, they make their preparations for the Shabbat summer, and welcome friends. The group say their prayers and have a meal together. The child is carried to bed, and is reassured that Jewish people celebrate this way all over the world, and that the same preparations will be carried out in the future, even with a brand new sibling to join in. There is a challah recipe at the end of the book, along with the author's note about Shabbat.
From the end papers, showing chalk like outlines of kitchen equipment on a dark blue surface, to the floral details of the family's dishware and decor, this is a lovely book, with soft colors of teal, blue, and a peachy beige. There are lots of details in the pictures that are fun to look at, and astute young readers will notice that the mother is heavily pregnant as she works closely with her child.
There are a lot of good details about the Shabbat celebration that will be informative to Gentile readers, and affirming to Jewish ones. Family rituals and everyday celebrations vary from family to family, and it's always good to have a window into the lives of others or a mirror reflecting a child's own experiences.
In the ten years since the We Need Diverse Books movement, we've seen such a great selection of books that show young readers so many different experiences of joy and celebration. This is a great addition to a list of books specifically about Shabbat like Lights Out Shabbat by Shulimson or Koala Challahby Gehl or Jewish celebrations in general like Here Is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays
by Newman. Elementary school libraries will want to make sure to include books about a wide range of culturally connected events!
A child and mother start the long and interesting process of making challah in their sun filled kitchen. The bring out their favorite bowl, mix the ingredients, wait for the dough to rise, braid it, and smell the delicious aromas as it bakes. After the bread has cooled, they make their preparations for the Shabbat summer, and welcome friends. The group say their prayers and have a meal together. The child is carried to bed, and is reassured that Jewish people celebrate this way all over the world, and that the same preparations will be carried out in the future, even with a brand new sibling to join in. There is a challah recipe at the end of the book, along with the author's note about Shabbat.
From the end papers, showing chalk like outlines of kitchen equipment on a dark blue surface, to the floral details of the family's dishware and decor, this is a lovely book, with soft colors of teal, blue, and a peachy beige. There are lots of details in the pictures that are fun to look at, and astute young readers will notice that the mother is heavily pregnant as she works closely with her child.
There are a lot of good details about the Shabbat celebration that will be informative to Gentile readers, and affirming to Jewish ones. Family rituals and everyday celebrations vary from family to family, and it's always good to have a window into the lives of others or a mirror reflecting a child's own experiences.
In the ten years since the We Need Diverse Books movement, we've seen such a great selection of books that show young readers so many different experiences of joy and celebration. This is a great addition to a list of books specifically about Shabbat like Lights Out Shabbat by Shulimson or Koala Challahby Gehl or Jewish celebrations in general like Here Is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays
by Newman. Elementary school libraries will want to make sure to include books about a wide range of culturally connected events!
March 29, 2026
This is such a beautiful book. Lovely, gentle illustrations walk the reader through the story visually and provide hidden innuendoes and clues to family, faith, and imagery.
The challah bread has six strips that are braided into one load. This represents the six days of labor and day of rest. The title of the book is "Rising." The first line.... "I rise with Ima in the early morning." The next page .... "...Yeast bubbles in the warm water." ... "My hot chocolate and her tea sit beside it, steam from both our cups rising."
Then there is a two page spread for after the dough is set aside in a bowl under a towel. The picture shows a very pregnant Ima resting and the child enjoying the out-of-doors while they wait.... "It rises and we wait. Ima says everything grows in its own time."
The story and the day progresses leading to dinner and Shabbat. ... "We say, Thank you, Hashem, for so many blessings."
An absolutely beautiful book. Perfect for the Jewish home and also for respectfully teaching non-Jewish family about Shabbat and Jewish customs.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
The challah bread has six strips that are braided into one load. This represents the six days of labor and day of rest. The title of the book is "Rising." The first line.... "I rise with Ima in the early morning." The next page .... "...Yeast bubbles in the warm water." ... "My hot chocolate and her tea sit beside it, steam from both our cups rising."
Then there is a two page spread for after the dough is set aside in a bowl under a towel. The picture shows a very pregnant Ima resting and the child enjoying the out-of-doors while they wait.... "It rises and we wait. Ima says everything grows in its own time."
The story and the day progresses leading to dinner and Shabbat. ... "We say, Thank you, Hashem, for so many blessings."
An absolutely beautiful book. Perfect for the Jewish home and also for respectfully teaching non-Jewish family about Shabbat and Jewish customs.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
November 26, 2025
With a narrator who could be a boy or a girl, this story speaks to the universal theme of cooking and eating as a bond among family. The child eagerly participates in helping the pregnant mommy prepare the weekly challah bread. The magic of this description means you can almost see the dough rising and the bread baking.
The illustrations are masterpieces of color and chiaroscuro. On the cover the light coming over the mother’s shoulder illuminates the happy child preparing the bread. Another picture shows the mother placing the dough in a special challah bowl with a purple, lace-embroidered cloth over it, echoed by the child’s purple apron and mimicked by the black and white radiator and its white lace pattern.
All the illustrations are filled with hidden surprises and artistic touches. The book also comes with a recipe in the back for challah as well as a glossary of Hebrew terms. However, I think this book will appeal to many children who also see dinner gatherings as times of festivity and togetherness.
The illustrations are masterpieces of color and chiaroscuro. On the cover the light coming over the mother’s shoulder illuminates the happy child preparing the bread. Another picture shows the mother placing the dough in a special challah bowl with a purple, lace-embroidered cloth over it, echoed by the child’s purple apron and mimicked by the black and white radiator and its white lace pattern.
All the illustrations are filled with hidden surprises and artistic touches. The book also comes with a recipe in the back for challah as well as a glossary of Hebrew terms. However, I think this book will appeal to many children who also see dinner gatherings as times of festivity and togetherness.
March 4, 2024
Sidura Ludwig's book is a beautiful, lyrical meditation on the importance of tradition, repetition, and the joy of sharing an important meal together. The book is told from a Jewish child's point of view, as child and mother make challah together for the sabbath. But the bread isn't the only thing that is rising; the mother is also about to give birth! I love the way the pregnancy is shown, but not mentioned. In the last spread, we see mom holding the new baby and the child handing the challah mixing bowl to dad, who will now do the baking. We see that although there has been a change in the family, some things will stay the same. Sophie Vincent Guy's gorgeous pastel palette is just right for this quiet story and the setting is lush and fertile. Plants and flowers abound, both outside in the garden, and inside, sometimes in the form of floral patterns. There is also an author's note and a challah recipe at the end.
March 5, 2024
In a world that is fraught with anxiety, hast, and bad news, this book is a calm oasis. I felt my blood pressure drop down as I read it. “Everything from the past week comes to rest.” Isn’t this what we long for? A time to come to rest? In Rising we are taken through a tactile day of making challah. It’s a day filled with the awareness of special moments and objects imbued with meaning. The day culminates in the family gathering for Shabbat and celebrating the special place that this moment in time holds. “We add a sprinkle of salt for the times we’ve cried, sometimes a dab of honey for the sweet times to come.” And in that sweetness, we see the story within the story, that of a young family preparing to welcome a new arrival. Rising shows us a story that has ben repeated throughout generations, a story of family, hearth, and home. In a restless world that never sleeps, we are given a moment to stop and breathe.
April 7, 2024
I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
This soothing book is about the Jewish tradition of preparing challah for Shabbat but it is also about being present with your family. I love that the child and mother are making the bread but there also are plenty of indications in the illustrations of the father participating off-page as well. The rising theme throughout also ties nicely with these acts of "raising" a child in your culture's traditions and of course there is a sweet underlying theme of waiting for baby to come so that the older child can move from student to teacher in the future. A really sweet book for families, whether Jewish or not, on the benefits of patience, work, and that all important act of just being together.
This soothing book is about the Jewish tradition of preparing challah for Shabbat but it is also about being present with your family. I love that the child and mother are making the bread but there also are plenty of indications in the illustrations of the father participating off-page as well. The rising theme throughout also ties nicely with these acts of "raising" a child in your culture's traditions and of course there is a sweet underlying theme of waiting for baby to come so that the older child can move from student to teacher in the future. A really sweet book for families, whether Jewish or not, on the benefits of patience, work, and that all important act of just being together.
January 24, 2025
4 stars with an extra for the value of this book in collections showing diversity of religions and celebrations.
This is a gentle, sweet story about the tradition of baking challah for a family's weekly Shabbat meal, which honours the idea of rest. A child narrates how they help their mother mix the dough, let it rise, bake, and eat the bread.
The line about how everything rises in it's own time is a lovely one to think about, and there are lots of other words and imagery around the idea of 'rising' (a pregnant mother, steam in a tea cup, etc). The illustrations have a lot of detail in the items in the kitchen, a garden, and the father's preparations.
The story pays a lot of respect to this Jewish tradition and includes a recipe which I'm interested to try.
This is a gentle, sweet story about the tradition of baking challah for a family's weekly Shabbat meal, which honours the idea of rest. A child narrates how they help their mother mix the dough, let it rise, bake, and eat the bread.
The line about how everything rises in it's own time is a lovely one to think about, and there are lots of other words and imagery around the idea of 'rising' (a pregnant mother, steam in a tea cup, etc). The illustrations have a lot of detail in the items in the kitchen, a garden, and the father's preparations.
The story pays a lot of respect to this Jewish tradition and includes a recipe which I'm interested to try.
February 19, 2024
Rising is Sidura Ludwig’s absolutely beautiful story of a mother and child making challah together. As with the braids of this traditional egg bread, Sidura weaves together tradition, family, shared time, and bread-making. Her language is lyrical, and her pacing is restful. Sophia Vincent Guy’s pastel illustrations are the perfect match and add to the overwhelming sense of comfort the book offers to its readers. Rising would be a wonderful choice for grandparents or parents to read with their little ones before making—or simply sharing—challah together. Sidura’s very own Challah recipe, with easy-to-follow instructions, is included at the end.
May 18, 2024
This beautiful picture book is more than a story about baking challah It is a story about love and family as well. The story is full of simile and metaphor. It begins as a boy and his mother are rising up in the morning and we read of the rising steam from beverages before thy make they mix the dough and wait for it to rise.. The author mentions that the dough needs to rest before rising again and at Sabbath we take time to rest. The story takes us through the day as the family prepares for and then celebrates Shabbat with friends. Each page has poetic turns of phrase and descriptions as calm and lovely as the pastel illustrations. There is another story braided into the book with illustrations only. Although it is never mentioned in the text, one can see in the pictures that another sibling is waiting to arrive. On the last page, the baby is in the mother's arms as the youngster prepares to make the challah with his father. I love Jewish picture books and was thrilled to read an advanced reader copy from the publisher. I can honestly say that this book belongs in any Jewish youngster's early personal library. It is a perfect book to read together for Sabbath. it would also be great at bedtime before going to bed to rest before rising another day.
March 30, 2025
In gentle and affectionate prose, the author shows a Jewish mother and her daughter preparing for Shabbat. Narrated by the little girl, the text describes the process of making challah - mixing the dough, kneading it, covering it with a towel as it slowly rises, braiding it, baking it and finally serving it at the sabbath dinner. Written in a minimal and unhurried style, the story emphasizes this traditional undertaking. The mixed media illustrations depict serene settings while incorporating decorative detail. Included in this charming presentation are an author's note, a challah recipe and a glossary of Hebrew terms. This is recommended for ages 4-7 by the SEPA Book Reviewers.
December 4, 2025
Date: 2024
Award: Sydney Taylor Award
Genre: Picturebook, fiction
Summary: In this book, it follows along a small family baking together for a family event. The book not only follows along the family baking together, but also is teaching everyone about patience. I thought that this book was very interesting as it follows along the family and their culture with the baked good they are making, but also teaching the reader about patience. I would use this book in my future classroom to not only teach students about patience, which is a lifelong skill, but also about the Jewish culture and the traditions that they have, like the bread recipe.
Award: Sydney Taylor Award
Genre: Picturebook, fiction
Summary: In this book, it follows along a small family baking together for a family event. The book not only follows along the family baking together, but also is teaching everyone about patience. I thought that this book was very interesting as it follows along the family and their culture with the baked good they are making, but also teaching the reader about patience. I would use this book in my future classroom to not only teach students about patience, which is a lifelong skill, but also about the Jewish culture and the traditions that they have, like the bread recipe.
February 2, 2024
I received an electronic ARC from Candlewick through Edelweiss+.
Readers meet a mother and child preparing to make Challah. Ludwig invites readers into the kitchen to join them as they make the bread and prepare for Shabbat. We join the celebration and enjoy the dinner with the extended family. The artwork captures the joy and seriousness of this time together. Ludwig thoughtfully includes a glossary of Hebrew terms and a recipe for Challah. Families can read this together to honor their faith or learn more about this religion.
Readers meet a mother and child preparing to make Challah. Ludwig invites readers into the kitchen to join them as they make the bread and prepare for Shabbat. We join the celebration and enjoy the dinner with the extended family. The artwork captures the joy and seriousness of this time together. Ludwig thoughtfully includes a glossary of Hebrew terms and a recipe for Challah. Families can read this together to honor their faith or learn more about this religion.
May 20, 2024
In this sweet picture book about a mother and child's weekly ritual of making challah bread for the Shabbat, readers are taken on a hands-on baking journey that is visceral and full of anticipation. Meanwhile, as the bread rises in a bowl "like a baby sleeping, the art shows the mother's pregnant belly, introducing a subtle parallelism.
This tender story is a delicious introduction to a Jewish tradition that will make readers hungry for more. A recipe for challah and a glossary of Hebrew terms in the back matter add a final sheen.
This tender story is a delicious introduction to a Jewish tradition that will make readers hungry for more. A recipe for challah and a glossary of Hebrew terms in the back matter add a final sheen.
February 6, 2025
A beautifully, intricately illustrated celebration of baking challah for Shabbat. I love the little narrator and their Ima, the mixed media artwork that highlights the blues and patterns of their home. I love the ties between the baking bread and Ima's pregnancy, the themes of waiting and community. Just really lovely! This would be a relatable book for any child who's helped in the kitchen, while also opening a window into Jewish life. I'm not surprised this received a Sydney Taylor Honor this year!
July 6, 2024
A very sweet book about the weekly tradition of making challah for Shabbat. As someone who's only made bread a few times, challah looks very difficult to make, but if it were a weekly thing I believe it could become a calming and peaceful process, and I think the text and illustrations do a wonderful job conveying that.
At the back is the challah recipe the author uses to make her challah each week.
At the back is the challah recipe the author uses to make her challah each week.
September 2, 2024
This book is an adorable picture book emphasising the importance of Shabbat and how challah is an important part of Shabbat. It explains everything on such an approachable way which is why I love learning about other religions and cultures from children’s books. The challah recipe was definitely a surprise but a welcome one. Overall I think this is perfect for what it’s going for and I recommend to children and adults alike.
February 27, 2025
A girl and her mother make Challah in the morning, preparing for the Shabbat.
I wanted to help with that bread, so well described, and the illustrations were perfect. The girl and her mother are so sweet together, resting on the patio while waiting for the bread to rise. I gave it an optional, because it's really written for a special audience. I love that there's a recipe for Challah (I want to make it) and a glossary of Hebrew terms. The characters are Jewish
I wanted to help with that bread, so well described, and the illustrations were perfect. The girl and her mother are so sweet together, resting on the patio while waiting for the bread to rise. I gave it an optional, because it's really written for a special audience. I love that there's a recipe for Challah (I want to make it) and a glossary of Hebrew terms. The characters are Jewish
October 14, 2025
Very cute book on a Jewish family making Challah, a braided egg bread eaten on Shabbat and most holidays (in glossary of book). I loved this so much. The way the mother and child made the bread felt poetic and graceful. The colors of the page are blues and greens, very earthy jewel tones and it made it so relaxing, just as I would like to feel in their situation. I loved the art style very soft and inviting.
December 5, 2025
Date: 2024
Genre: Picture books, jewish, family, religion
Award: Sydney Taylor Book Award
This story was about a Jewish mother and her tradition of making challah with her child. The writing is peaceful and uses lyrics and descriptive imagery, it even has a recipe in it. I liked this book because I dont know much about Jewish culture and seeing challah being made in such a cute way was fun. This book can be used when teaching kids about different religions, something I wasn’t really taught.
Genre: Picture books, jewish, family, religion
Award: Sydney Taylor Book Award
This story was about a Jewish mother and her tradition of making challah with her child. The writing is peaceful and uses lyrics and descriptive imagery, it even has a recipe in it. I liked this book because I dont know much about Jewish culture and seeing challah being made in such a cute way was fun. This book can be used when teaching kids about different religions, something I wasn’t really taught.
September 16, 2024
This book was perfect for reading to my children about a tradition that they love, Shabbat. Seeing the beautiful illustration show the process of making challah was inspiring and made a lot of connections for my 3 boys under 8. I especially loved that there was a new challah recipe to try at the end of the book, I think we may do this for next Shabbat!
April 6, 2026
This is an interesting tale about the making of challah bread and its role in Shabbat. The author includes a recipe for making this bread. I enjoyed the word play and subtleties (as I saw them) in this story, and I'm looking forward to trying my hand at making challah bread! Well done, Ms. Ludwig!
May 6, 2024
👧🏻 reviews: this book about Challah bread baked and eaten during Shabbat is interesting because as a Chinese-American, we only get to read stories about the tradition, so when this book has illustrations it’s even better to visualize it. Great story and illustrations.
May 15, 2024
This story is going to have you craving some homemade challah.
It's an absolutely lovely read, full of heart, family, ritual, and Shabbat.
Eat it up!!!!
Perfect for Jewish preschools and families and anyone who loves the smells and tastes of family.
It's an absolutely lovely read, full of heart, family, ritual, and Shabbat.
Eat it up!!!!
Perfect for Jewish preschools and families and anyone who loves the smells and tastes of family.
May 27, 2024
Uplifting yet quiet and gentle, this picture book shows the methodical process of making challah for Shabbat. As slow and intentional as the act of making bread, this book is a step away from chaos and hurry -- ending with a call to peace and togetherness. Really lovely.
July 3, 2024
Cute book, but the illustrations definitely emphasize the phrase "Bun in the Oven" as an additional side-story to the main ones being told that had more to do with the boy and with baking actual bread.
September 13, 2024
I adored this book. Though written for children, this is a heartwarming story for all ages about family, friends, and the importance of rituals in daily life centered around the baking of challah bread.
February 8, 2025
This spectacular picture book about baking challah and getting ready for Shabbat belongs in every Jewish home and library. I love that it also includes a recipe for challah. I only wish that I had this book when my daughter was younger. Highly recommended for preK & up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews