Shoham's Bangle

by Sarah Sassoon, Noa Kelner (Contributor)

"When Shoham's family emigrates from Iraq to Israel, Nana Aziza gives Shoham a way to remember where she came from"--

Genres: Picture Books, Jewish, Childrens, Historical, Cultural, Historical Fiction

Unknown Binding

Published August 1, 2022

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh love!

[T.]

A serendipitous choice by Cosette (I think actually the first she checked out with her own library card!)—quite moving and lovely!

[Michelle Feiglin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in post war Melbourne, my first awareness was of the tattooed number on my father’s arm. We were a generation where having grandparents was a rarity, I was privileged to have one set. I read obsessively about the Shoah which occupied centre stage in my life. Later, as a school librarian in a Jewish school, the students were also thirsty for that knowledge and intimate detail of every facet of the Shoah. I grappled with what age to introduce my students to this literature as writers struggled with how to educate a new generation.
It was only later, when my daughter married into an Iraqi family, that I became aware of the rich heritage as well as the persecution of Sephardic Jews.
Sarah, in Shoham’s bangle, has perfectly achieved the balance of telling the story authentically of the expulsion of Iraqi Jews, while managing to stay comfortably in a child’s world.
The story is feast for the senses, with evocative imagery . We can hear the jingle jangle, clink clanking , chip chopping . we can smell the aroma of the garlic, onions, dates and pitta. We can see the bangles glittering in the sun. The beautiful illustrations in shades of maroon, turquoise, green and brown add to the sensation of being Shoham being cocooned with the love of her Nana and the bangle, which ties her to the memories of her beloved Iraq.
Highly recommend this moving story as a great introduction to this rich culture

[Kena F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found on Amazon
Picture book from Chicago Public Library

A Sydney Taylor Notable Book
Winner of the Crystal Kite Award
Tablet Magazine's Best Jewish Kids Books of the Year

This is such a cute grandparent/grandchild story. I think it's relatable to all cultures and generations. Nana Aziza and Shoham are are on their way to Israel and they plan on bringing fresh pita bread to eat when they arrive. Both of them have their gold bangles that jingle jangle, and make clink clank music, they can even cut round date cookies.

Mom tells Shoham that it's time to leave and travel to Israel and leave Iraq. The problem is that they can only have 1 suitcase for the entire family which consist of Shoham's parents and brothers, her and her Nana. There's still a more pressing issue, she can't keep her bangles because the Iraq government will not allow them to take them when they leave.

They pass through the checkpoint after having their suitcase examined and board the plan to their new home in Israel. When they arrive Nana kisses the dusty ground and they head to a camp ground for the evening. Nana passes everyone a pita and to Shoham's surprise she bits into something hard and realizes that her Nana had baked the bangles in the pita bread so that she would always have something to remember her home in Iraq.

[Shoshana Sarah Kreinzin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoham’s Bangles seems like it’s a book about, well bangles, and baking with her nana. But it’s about much more than that. Baking becomes the weaving of culture into pita bread, placing history and a grandmother’s love on a child’s palate in the form of sweet date and semolina cookies. Representation also matters. Through Shoham’s journey, we learn about the uprooting of Iraqi Jews, gently, through the eyes of a child and her strong family bonds. But every child can see herself in Shoham, the relationships forged in the kitchen, the questions about the adults’ world, and the innocent trust that as long as we have each other, everything will be alright. Shoham’s Bangles carries a universal lesson that home is about remembering where we came from, but more importantly, with whom we bake our cookies.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this book, from the text to the illustrations, is gorgeous! It's an authentic story (read the Author's Note) full of poetic detail, from the sound of Shoham's bangles clanking together to the smells of the Iraqi foods she bakes with her grandmother. This book tells an important, yet sometimes overlooked, part of Jewish history in a way that children can understand. And there are other themes too: the value of the relationship between child and grandparent, how difficult it is to say goodbye and start anew, and the importance of remembering and appreciating where you come from. The richly colored and expressive illustrations are a treat for the eyes and match perfectly the tone of the book. Beautiful!

[Shmuel Yaccoby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching illustrated story for any age

This is a tale about migrants, perhaps family or maybe appreciation of tradition, and even about accomplishing a longing dream, long as a distance of 2000 years. But above all, this is a story about love that bonds loved ones together wherever they go. As written: “Don’t worry, we have each other.”

Being born to a Kurdish family who migrated from Iraq to the newly born Israel, I could easily envision grandma Aziza as my mother or grandma. Every written word by this talented author surfaces a smile and even a hidden tear.

And the illustrations, oh boy, are so authentic, and those facial expressions bring the images to life, making me wish to seek for additional artworks by these gifted author and illustrator.

Well done!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoham’s Bangle is a heartwarming story featuring Shoham and her Nana Aziza who share precious moments baking together as their bangles jingle-jangle on their wrists. But when their family must leave Iraq for Israel without any jewelry and most belongings, Shoham discovers that her job of carrying the family’s pita bread is even more important than she realized.

This book is a delight from cover to cover, lovingly layered with themes of family relationships, bravery, perseverance, and the preservation of treasured cultural and family traditions. Exquisitely written and beautifully illustrated, this book is sure to warm hearts all over the world.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book tells the tale of a young girl who's family is forced to emigrate from Iraq. It is a story that proves that home is not a place in this world but wherever you find family. Noa Kelner's beautiful illustrations help set the mood and show the surroundings. This would be a great book for any Jewish home or school library as it shows the diversity within the Jewish community. But I also reccomend this book for any young child who is facing a move, for teachers welcoming a new student, or for lessons about Iraq or stressing diversity and multicultural content.

[Martha Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book from a girl's POV about how her family in Iraq relocated to Israel. She helps her Nana Aziza cook, and wears a gold bangle like Nana's. They aren't allowed to take jewelry as they leave Iraq, but Nana finds a way. Backmatter tells of the 1951 airlift when the author's grandparents were relocated to Israel. A wonderful story of family and faith. A 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable book.

[Elli Kriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much!! So heartfelt, sweet and endearing. It beautifully captures the strength of love and faith in family and kin. This book crosses time, place and location and is just as relevant in the world today. Sarah is a talented writer and I highly recommend this book for families delving into their family histories and identities with their children.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, well worthy of the awards and praise it has garnered. It is a love story to author Sarah Sassoon’s Iraqi-Jewish Nana and to the ancient Babylonian land. Sarah Sassoon and illustrator, Noa Kelner, have brought to life both the Jewish-Iraqi culture and the emotions of leaving a beloved home with this heart-felt story and striking illustrations.

[Miriam Avrahamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Really enjoyed reading the book and sharing it with my daughters. The book portrays the trauma that the Jews must have felt leaving Iraq, the only place.they knew and the joy of coming to.their homeland.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and thoughtfully told story of a Jewish family leaving Iraq to avoid persecution. The Author's Note illuminates the background with this important thought. "It's not about the homes we leave but about the homes we rebuild."

[Erika Dreifus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find my take on this beautiful (and important) new picture book, based on the author's family history, in this article for Hadassah magazine.

[Leova Manbhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of family, leaving everything behind starting over and remembering that as long as the family is together, that is all that really matters.

[Carol Gordon Ekster · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautifully written and it's about a Jewish topic we don't often hear or read about - Jewish families leaving Iraq.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems to me I read a VERY similar story recently, of immigrants who baked bracelets into pitas...

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet and needed story about an Iraqi Jewish family holding onto tradition even when forced out of the country they had lived in for thousands of years.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet story of Shoham, whose Babylonian Jewish family moves to Israel during Operation Ezra + Nehemiah