PJ Library Around the World
By Rachel Kozupsky
Director of International Programs, PJ Library
This story appeared in the July 2022 issue of PROOF, a PJ Library magazine.
*The black dots signify the countries in which PJ Library is offered.
Taiwan, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates. These are just three of the 36 countries that are part of PJ Library's international program. We have myriad statistics to back up our mission, but as always, it's about stories — not just the ones we share but also the ones created to reflect different cultures. To make the stories even more accessible, many have been translated into English, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, and Ukrainian.
Our hope is that families everywhere see PJ Library books both as mirrors and windows. We want families to see themselves in the stories, so the books feel relatable and relevant. But we also want them to see and learn something new about Jewish customs or traditions that are different than theirs.
PJ Library books are a time-tested way to make that happen. Through stories, children are learning that British Jews created fish and chips, and Moroccan Jews celebrate a separate holiday after Passover called Mimouna. There will always be room to learn something new about the Jewish experience and enhance our own Jewishness.
As Jews, it is a treat when we visit a new synagogue and pick up a siddur (prayer book), knowing that even if the songs sound different, we are still among our shared community. PJ Library offers a small taste of that same feeling, knowing that children everywhere are reading some of the same stories, just as Jews have shared the same ancient books for millennia. Here's a look at some of our stories from around the world.
Europe
Written by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Omer Hoffmann
Published by Green Bean Books
Londoner Joseph Malin has a great idea: he'll sell fried fish made by using one of his Sephardic grandmother's favorite recipes for Shabbat. The fish is a hit! But what will happen when his fish cart collides with Annette's french fry cart? When people work together, delicious things happen.
Former Soviet Union
Written by Jane Bernstein and Charlotte Glynn
Illustrated by Anna Desnitskaya
Published by Animal Media Group
Many immigration stories take place long ago but not this one. Based on the true story of Gina, a wire-haired terrier whose family snuck her out of Siberia and into the US during the Cold War, this beautiful and thrilling tale follows Gina as her family travels by bus, train, car, plane, and minivan.
Asia
Written by Heidi Smith Hyde
Illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong
Published by Kar-Ben Publishing
When Marcus' family moves from Europe to China in the 1930s, he feels like a fish out of water. He doesn't know any Jewish families like his. But when he makes a new friend, he's able to build an unusual sukkah just in time for Sukkot — and that helps him feel more at home.
Latin America
¿Dónde está Shmata?
Written by Tana Ross
Illustrated by Elisa Kleven
Published by PJ Publishing
Shmata is missing! Is it there behind the pillow — or is that an armadillo? Lift the flaps to help the little girl in this book find her beloved blankie in this sweet story set in Latin America. It's a little bit Spanish, a little bit Yiddish, and completely adorable.
Africa
Written by Allison Ofanansky
Illustrated by Rotem Teplow
Published by Groundwood Books
For Moroccan Jews, the end of Passover means it's time for Mimouna! Miriam wants to help her mother make moufleta pancakes for their party, but they don't have any flour. Their Muslim neighbors are happy to help and soon become friends.