With its large illustrations and clean, clear lines, Shabbat Light makes a beautiful visual introduction to Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and Havdalah (the Saturday evening ceremony that separates Shabbat from the beginning of the new week) for PJ Library’s youngest participants. Author and illustrator Samara Klein couples these simple, beautiful images with spare but lovely and meaningful text.
In some ways, Shabbat Light is deceptively simple. Little ones may not notice the ways in which the passage of time is shown through the portrayal of light on the page or recognize that the form, structure, and page orientations of the book add to this. The book pages, with their engaging colors and suggestions of texture, invite young readers to reach out and touch the story. Even the word “light” stands out in fiery orange. And what a bonus: when you turn the lights out after story time, the cover even glows in the dark!
How could the Book Selection Committee resist this fun, interactive choice?
July 8, 2019