Sammy Spider's First Shabbat

Sammy Spider

by Sylvia A. Rouss, Katherine Janus Kahn (Illustrator)

Sammy Spider yearns to celebrate Shabbat. He watches Josh set the festive table, and is especially fascinated when Mrs. Shapiro braids the challah. As the family gather's to welcome Shabbat, Sammy discovers that something unexpected has happened.

Genres: Religion, Picture Books, Jewish

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read on tumblebooks. Absolutely no information here for the reader who isn't Jewish. What is Shabbat? What's the meaning of the bread, the wine, the feast? What's the special thing about sunset? No clues, and apparently no note, either, unless the print book has a note?

I like the art though.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was cute! Again, a bit wordy for little kids, but my students thought it was funny that Sammy braided his web like a challah . At least, after I explained it to them. Like a lot of Sammy Spider books, though, I mostly ended up using the pictures and the vague idea of the plot as a springboard for discussion about Shabbat.

[K Morlando · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story for young children.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Susen Saeed · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Shapiro’s are preparing for Shabbat dinner tonight. Sammy the Spider wonders why he and his mother do not celebrate it too. Instead of spinning the web like his mother had asked, Spider continued to watch the Shapiro family as they prepared their Shabbat meal and celebration. He watches as the family unpacks, sets the table, and prepares dinner. Mr. Shapiro unpacked the grocery, Josh set up the dinner table with candles and with wine and kiddush cups. Josh helps his mother make a traditional braided Jewish bread called challah. Sammy spider wants to celebrate Shabbat so badly he learns how to spin his web in the same way that Josh learns to braid the challah bread. After a nap, Sammy the spider notices a hole in the web. he is just about to fix it when Mrs. Spider tells him Shabbat is the day of rest, he can fix it later! The story is a great way to introduce to children the special Jewish holiday Shabbat and the traditions held by people of this faith. The author makes references to a few words in Jewish, but more importantly, the popular Jewish bread recipe is illustrated for children to learn how it is prepared. This story is beneficial for all children, especially for those who can relate to the characters.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an entertaining book and a great read for children to learn about Judaism and Shabbat. Sammy the spider and his mom live right outside a Jewish home and he becomes fascinated with the family and their practices during Shabbat. He watches them make Challah bread, sing prayers, and eat a Shabbat dinner. This is a great cultural reference and a colorful book that can be used during the holidays to discuss various religious practices, or throughout the school year.

[Elizabeth]

I first read this picturebook almost 7 years ago because I happened to see it on the library pile of a friend I was visiting, but in reading it again tonight I found I didn't have any recollection of it.

I really liked the colorful cut-paper illustrations.

It's also a nice use of "outsider perspective as teaching tool."