When choosing books for our youngest subscribers, we at PJ Library want to provide selections that the child can grow into as they return to the story again and again. Most of our books for our youngest readers are board books that babies can (literally) sink their teeth into. However, for this month’s selection, we have chosen a book that is as much for the parents as it is for the baby.
With its thick, glossy page and colorful, bright illustrations, Much, Much Better engages babies as they snuggle with a caregiver who reads it to them. This story, based on classic Jewish folktales of the prophet Elijah and his disguised visits, begins with a couple, Shlomo and Miriam, taking in a stranger to their home for Shabbat. When the stranger says their house would be much, much better if it were messier—strewn with books and covered with sticky substances—the couple is confused, but once they welcome a baby boy into their family, they see that the mess is a blessing.
Many of our families who had babies in the past year can relate to Shlomo and Miriam, whose messy house is filled with joy. We hope that everyone enjoys this tale as much as we do!
June 10, 2021