We at PJ Library are often asked how we choose our books. This post is part of a series by the Book Selection Committee, sharing why we chose one of each month’s selections.
Planting Parsley came to the Book Selection Committee in manuscript form from author Pamela Ehrenberg. We were immediately charmed by its sing-song rhyming prose, perfect for out-loud reading, and we marveled at how only 150 perfectly selected words could accomplish so much. The story describes a young boy and girl planting parsley seeds on Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees. Now, for many of us, Tu B’Shevat falls in mid-winter when the custom of planting trees is not possible, but as this innovative story shows, we can plant parsley seeds instead and the parsley we grow can later be used as karpas during the Passover seder. This project beautifully embodies the connection between the natural world and Jewish tradition.
Under the imprint PJ Publishing, PJ Library publishes a handful of select titles ourselves and we immediately knew that we wanted to publish Planting Parsley. We decided to work with artist Constanze v. Kitzing because of her vibrant use of color that we felt glorified the lushness of nature. The book has further inspired the parsley seeds that will accompany all PJ Library books in January. All this from only 150 words.
Did you get this book this month? We'd love to hear your thoughts on this book. Email us at pjlibrary@hfg.org or get in touch on Facebook
January 4, 2016