Let's Nosh (World Snacks)

Book Description

Let's Nosh!

Amy Wilson Sanger

Full-color, 20 pages, 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, Ages 1 to 3

The third book in our World Snacks series will satisfy hungry minds with its introduction to the comfiest of Jewish foods. Pages burst with bagels, knishes, tsimmes, and latkes—and lots and lots of matzoh. There's even… a scoop of noodle kugel in my fancy-schmancy bowl next to fruit-filled hamentaschen and some nutty rugelach rolls.

Filled with tasty mixed media and cut-paper collages, Let's Nosh! will have bubelahs large and small coming back for seconds.

Customer Reviews:

cool and quirky board book.......2007-05-07

My one year old son loves this board book! We actually have the entire series. It's fun and creative, and I don't have to worry about him ripping the pages. We are hooked!

making tsimes.......2006-08-09

I like this series for kids. It's a nice way to get kids curious about foods from different cultures, different ethnicities.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the others, but that may just reflect the fact that Jewish cooking isn't as good as other cultural foods. We may be the only ethnic group that doesn't find comfort in our own comfort foods, at least that's my take on it, for numerous reasons, some of which I will respectfully not go into, as they are not flattering to my family.

But still, a nice book, a nice series. If you are fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood with a good variety of ethnic restaurants, and fortunate enough to have children with temperaments conducive to public dining, these books are a nice supplement to the feast.

Excellent gift for a Jewish baby.......2006-06-17

We received this book as a gift after our daughter was born. At first, only we understood the cute rhymes. Now our daughter is old enough to recognize many of the foods and understand the book. It's so nice to see our family's traditional foods reflected in a children's book.

Another good one!.......2003-10-27

My kids have all of Amy Wilson Sanger's books. This one is probably their least favorite, though it's still good. Part of it may be my fault - I am not at all familiar with this food and so hesitate a little more over the words and don't get a good rhythm going. If you know your Jewish food, you probably would enjoy this just as much as the others. The pictures are still wonderful!

As another reviewer mentioned, while this one has the definitions on the back, there is no pronunciation guide, and that is too bad for me, personally.

All in all, this is still a wonderful kids book - more fun than most others out there - but not the best of this author's work.

Another Wonderful "Food" Book.......2002-12-01

We love the third book in Sanger's food series. Although we definitely prefer the other two, this book amuses us as well, even though we weren't too sure what some of the food was. I personally wish the author would have included a pronunciation guide to the food like in Hola Jalapeño as well as the included translations. But all in all, this is another fun book, right in step with First Book of Sushi and Hola Jalapeño. Another must have for your child's library.

The New Jewish Baby Book: Names, Ceremonies, & Customs-a Guide for Today's Families

Average customer rating:

Excellent reference book
Very informative
a wealth of information to help you plan for your newborn
a wealth of information to help you plan for your newborn
ANITA DIAMANT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

The New Jewish Baby Book: Names, Ceremonies, & Customs-a Guide for Today's Families
Anita Diamant
Manufacturer: Jewish Lights Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580232515

Book Description

A complete guide to the customs and rituals for welcoming a new child to the world and into the Jewish community, and for commemorating the joyous event in family life whatever your family constellation. The only book of its kind. Expanded, completely updated and revised.
Includes:
Ceremonies to copy for handouts.
Special section for interfaith families helps make the celebrations inclusive and joyous for all.
New ceremonies for girls, as well as for boys.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent reference book.......2007-01-12

This book is an excellent reference for expectant parents looking to celebrate Jewish traditions. I highly recommend it!

Very informative.......2003-09-05

This book manages to pretty much cover all the bases about rituals and such when you are expecting. I realied heavily on it for my first child and with the twins, I was somewhat disappointed to see it didn't mention a thing about multiple births (especially since they are so common nowadays 1-in 100). But other than that - I was highly impressed with the content!

a wealth of information to help you plan for your newborn.......2002-01-08

Each couple anticipating the arrival of a child is tuned into the Jewish saying that, "With each child, the world begins anew." Planning for the arrival of a newborn is filled with hope, excitement, nervousness, and profound love. Beyond these wonderful feelings are all the reality issues of how to choose a name and how to welcome this new being into the family and community. For Jewish families expecting a new arrival, Anita Diamant's "The New Jewish Baby Book" is an invaluable resource.

As someone who creates personalized birth announcements for couples who want to announce the arrival of their newborn in a special way, I am very aware of how helpful "The New Jewish Baby Book" is. I see well-used copies, with clips and markers pointing to elements that speak to the couple as they plan for their baby. Anita Diamant's in-depth descriptions and presentations of a wide range of issues help couples focus on what is important and meaningful as they prrepare for their awesome new adventure.

Particularly helpful are a myriad ideas for ritual welcoming ceremonies for both boys and girls. The Brit Millah (Covenant of Circumcision) ceremony for boys has been in use since Biblical times. There must not be a parent through the ages who hasn't agonized over this ritual. "The New Jewish Baby Book" provides a sensitive assessment of this ancient ceremony, bringing contemporary questions and issues to the discussion of circumcision in an attempt to help couples come to terms with this practice. For those anticipating having a boy, reading the section on the Brit Millah will help families understand the ceremony and know what to expect, including a checklist of items that need to be on hand. Until relatively recently, there was no official ceremony to welcome a girl into the Jewish community. "The New Jewish Baby Book" was one of the first resources published to provide ideas, prayers, blessings, and readings for a Brit Bat (Covenant for a Daughter) ceremony. For this, Anita Diamant is to be commended.

In addition to enhancing traditional ceremonies with contemporary prayers, "The New Jewish Baby Book" suggests other ways of beautifying the arrival of a new born, whether with hand-crafted ritual objects or with a unique and personalized birth announcement with a Jewish look. The book also addresses the reality of an increased intermarriage rate in modern times, raising common concerns when some family members are unfamiliar with Jewish ritual and practice. Also addressed are adoption issues, ways to include extended family members in the welcoming of a new born, and genetic diseases for which Jewish couples should be tested and aware of. All of these issues are discussed with Anita's usual thoroughness, sensitivity and compassion.

a wealth of information to help you plan for your newborn.......2002-01-08

ANITA DIAMANT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!.......2001-09-19

Like all of her books, this is a great resource for Jewish parents. Diamant includes everything you need to know to plan a brit milah or brit bat. Also she gives suggestions on how to create your own ceremony. She includes a list of Jewish baby names as well as Jewish baby announcements. The book is easy and enjoyable to read. This is a must read for pregnant Jews whether they are reform, conservative, or orthodox.

Only Nine Chairs: A Tall Tale for Passover

Average customer rating:

Perfect for tikes
Hilarious Book about Seder
A great story in rhyme for the younger set (ages 3-8)

Only Nine Chairs: A Tall Tale for Passover
Deborah Uchill Miller
Manufacturer: Kar-Ben Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 093049413X

Book Description

A seder for 19 with seating for 9
Will some have to stand while the others recline?

A rhyming tale for young and old presents a new solution to an old dilemma -- the overcrowded seder. A Passover classic.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for tikes.......2002-03-30

This darling 37-page book offers even the smallest of children--babies and toddlers too--a funny Passover feast.

The poem has barely more than 200 words, but hilariously recounts the arrival of guests--while counting their 19 noses, 38 thumbs, freckles and the hosts' insufficient chairs. It wanders through places they might find seats, including "in the attic,/ Or on bookshelves in pairs,"... "in the sink/ Soaking suds with the pans," camped out "in the carport" or in "empty trash cans."

For the Kiddush (blessing the wine) the family will stand, so that's no problem, but the child narrator knows that sitting down for the meal will land "half on the floor." He thinks of stacking everyone in one chair, and reading "the Haggadah/ Sing songs filled with hope,/ With one book at the bottom/And a long periscope."

I won't spoil any of the glorious special effects. Suffice it to say, readers will delight in the book's dipping of greens, funny hiding of matzah and hysterical asking of four questions. (Even Elijah brings a laugh.) Children also love the simple pen and ink drawings that bring this light-heartedness to life. Alyssa A. Lappen

Hilarious Book about Seder.......2000-03-22

What I like most about this book is that it is so differentfrom the average Jewish children's book. Instead of going through theseder and what each thing symbolizes, it tells a humorous story about a girl worried that there will not be sufficient seating at her family's seder table. Its a funny book, that just happens to occur during Pesach. A real treat.

A great story in rhyme for the younger set (ages 3-8).......1999-01-02

A very clever poem about celelbrating the Seder when there is not enough room. Especially nice for non-orthodox families because the characters could be us and the traditions referenced in the book are probably familiar to most readers even if not orthodox. And the last line of the book makes me smile time and time again. I think I may it enjoy it more than my children. Get it. You can't go wrong.

The Jewish Children's Bible Gift Set (5 volumes)

Average customer rating:

Perfect for early school years

The Jewish Children's Bible Gift Set (5 volumes)
Sheryl Prenzlau
Manufacturer: Simcha Media Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Illustrated Jewish Bible for Children

ASIN: 094370636X

Book Description

Five volume gift set. Introduces all the major stories in the bible in simple, easy-to-read language that children can understand and follow. Bright, full color illustrations are interwoven within the text.

Each volume contains a unique "Midrashim: Tales of the Sages" section to help parents and teachers explain the behind-the-scenes events in many of teh Biblical stories. The series includes THE CHILDREN'S HAGGADAH, THE BOOK OF ESTHER, THE BOOK OF RUTH and JONAH AND THE WHALE.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for early school years.......2000-10-31

This series of books are a perfect introduction to the Torah. Not only are the illustrations beautiful, the interpretation is true to the original. I would recommend using them with children from ages 5-10.

Average customer rating:

Humor glinting at the edges
Great For Elderly Parents, Too
Share this world with a child
Just as magical as the Harry Potter books!
Maaaaaa says Zlateh

Stories for Children
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0374464898

Book Description

Thirty-six stories by the Nobel Prize winner, including some of his most famous such as "Zlateh the Goat", "Mazel and Shlimazel", and "The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp".

Customer Reviews:

Humor glinting at the edges.......2003-10-05

As Singer noted in his 1984 Foreword, "in the beginning was the Logos, the power of the word." He had never believed he could write for children, but editor Elizabeth Shub convinced him otherwise in the early 1960s. Twelve volumes of children's books followed, from which these 36 tales are gleaned. Young readers should remain eternally grateful.

This collection opens in Chelm, the village of idiots young and old. Even the people have funny names--Gronam Ox, Dopey Lekisch, Zeinvel Ninny, Shmendrick Numskull and Feyvel Thickwit. The way they speak and act is still funnier.

Gronam, for example, would have been a happy man, but for the elders who regularly visited--to whom he regularly spoke nonsense. His first wife Genendel would reproach him, to which he replied, "In the future, whenever you hear me saying something silly, come into the room and let me know. I will immediately change the subject."

She refused. "If they learn you're a fool, you'll lose your job as head of the council." Instead, each time he said anything silly, she offered to hand him the key to their strongbox. "Then you'll know you've been talking like a fool."

That year, the town met with a scarcity of sour cream, which was sorely needed for the coming Pentecost, a holiday on which the townsfolk normally ate a lot of it. Gronam had the solution. He proposed making "a law that water is to be called sour cream, and sour cream is to be called water." Given the wells full of water, he noted, all the women would have barrels full of sour cream as a result.

Sender Donkey, Treitel Fool and their most foolish compatriots all heartily approved. So the new law was written. But Genendel shortly appeared with the strongbox key. When Gronam explained their arrangement, the elders grew enraged. How dare a woman suggest she knew better when wisdom or silliness had been spoken.

They in turn changed another law: When Genendel believed Gronam's pronouncements silly, she should give the elders the strongbox key and let them decide. If they disagreed, she would double their portions of blintzes, cakes and tea. From that day forward, Gronam spoke freely, and Genendel hardly said a word: She was not about to serve blintzes generously.

Then there is Shlemiel, also of the fabled Chelm, and as fine a businessman as the town could offer. He married Mrs. Shlemiel, whose father gave him a dowry, with which he bought a goat in Lublin. But en route home, he left the goat tethered to a tree while he went into an inn for some brandy, chopped liver and onions and a plate of chicken soup and noodles. The innkeeper (not surprisingly) switched his old blind billy goat for Shlemiel's milking goat. Lots more fun and some Chelmnick wisdom followed.

Readers also encounter "Shrewd Todie and Lyzer the Miser." The former had a wife Shaindel and seven children and never earned enough to feed them. He had such poor luck working at trades that he decided if he should make candles, the sun would never set. During an especially cold winter, Shaindel told Todie that if he could not get something to eat, she would go to the Rabbi and get a divorce. "And what will you do with it," he asked her. "Eat it?"

Lyzer meanwhile was so stingy, he'd let his wife bake bread but once every four weeks: Stale bread was eaten more slowly than fresh. He left his poor goats to feast on his neighbors' thatched roofs, rather than feed them. He preferred to eat his dry bread and borscht on a box so that his upholstered chairs would not wear out. And he never made a loan, preferring to keep his money in his strongbox.

One day, Todie asked Lyzer to borrow a silver spoon, promising he would return it the next. Not one to doubt holy words, Lyzer loaned the spoon and was pleased the next day when Todie returned it, plus a silver teaspoon, explaining that the spoon had given birth. Todie was honest, and had to return both. He repeated the exercise twice more.

At last, Todie came to Lyzer to borrow silver Shabbat candlesticks, which Lyzer gladly loaned. Todie sold the candlesticks, bought his wife and seven children a feast and on Sunday, returned to Lyzer, reporting that his candlesticks had died. "You fool! How can candlesticks die," Lyzer screamed, dragging Todie to the Rabbi. "Did you expect candlesticks to give birth?" the Rabbi asked. "If you accept nonsense that brings you profit, you must also accept nonsense when it brings you loss."

Others stories are less silly. We meet Peziza the imp who lived with her friend Tsirtsur the cricket an old stove, where they shared gay, devilish, frightening, and delightful stories on long winter nights.

And Rabbi Leib, who escaped the evil works of Cunegunde, a witch whose son Bolvan robbed the merchants on the roads and hid his stolen hoard in an invisible cave--rendered by his mother's evil magic.

My favorite is "Zlateh the Goat." Rueven instructed his son Aaron to take his pet to the butcher to pay for the struggling family's Hanukkah feast. Heartbroken, the heartbroken boy heeded his father and set out, but was overtaken by a snowstorm. I cannot tell what happened, but the tale warms hearts to the core.

Like all Singer's work--these 36 agile stories offer spirit, life and the supernatural--with humor glinting at their edges. Children love them, be they young or old.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

Great For Elderly Parents, Too.......2002-07-23

I sometimes read these to my sick and elderly dad at bed time. He loves them. When he's not doing well, is worried about his health, is afraid to close his eyes, the stories work their magic. As I read, he sometimes clucks, murmers "oh, yes," and makes other happy and endearing sounds--just great to hear. If he's still awake at the end, he goes to sleep, fearlessly, with a smile on his face.

Share this world with a child.......2001-05-30

Although this set of 36 stories is recommended for reading level 4 to 8 years old, Singer would rightly say that story tellers "write not only for children but also for their parents, they too are serious children." Singer considers children as the best readers of genuine literature, by nature inclined to mysticism, and with their own particular logic and clarity they rely on nothing but their own taste. With an array of supernaturral characters (devils, gnomes, hobgoblings, prophets, imps, saints, and demons) Singer fulfils a mosaic of fantastic imagination, colored by a rich folklore, addressing moral issues that concern the child and the adult as well. Stories such as "Zlateh the Goat," "Popiel and Tekla," "The Power of Light," amongst others, have a universal appeal because they address eternal questions. For Singer, now matter how young a child might be, he is a philosopher and seeker of God. An adult will surely enjoy these tales, and if he can share them with a child then his pleasure will be doubled!

Just as magical as the Harry Potter books!.......2000-05-19

Over the years I've read this book to my daughter several times. As most children, she has her favorites and never tires of those. You've got demons and witches and holy men who fight evil. You've got moral lessons that teach without preaching. All written with compassion and a deft hand. Adventure abounds. Excitement rules the day. You'll find yourself speaking with a Yiddish accent in spite of yourself! And, me, an African American woman! Good books know no color. Pure magic.

Maaaaaa says Zlateh.......2000-01-31

I had read Isaac Bashevis Singer in high school and enjoyed him. I picked up Stories for Children at the library and read it to myself straight through and found it very enjoyable. I thought my 4 and 5 year old might like it too so I read Zlateh the Goat since we're getting a lot of snow. You have to understand that basically the author has transcribed oral legend onto paper. It's the difference between reading Shakespeare and watching Hollywood doing Henry V. I have never so vividly experienced this as when I read the this story to the kids. They were rolling on the floor when the goat says Maaaa. At the end of the story the author ends one word short. Both kids shouted it out. I completely missed it when I read the book to myself silently.

P is for Passover (Holiday Alphabet Books)

Average customer rating:

Be careful with early readers of the title!
Nice Young Children's Book

P is for Passover (Holiday Alphabet Books)
Tanya Lee Stone
Manufacturer: Price Stern Sloan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0843102381

Book Description

P is for Passover
Or Pesach, some say,
We celebrate freedom
On this holiday

In this new shaped alphabet book, families will enjoy learning about Passover! Every page contains a letter of the alphabet along with sweet, rhyming text that corresponds with each letter. And as an added bonus, at the end of the book is the complete story of Passover. This is a perfect introduction to the holiday!

Customer Reviews:

Be careful with early readers of the title!.......2007-03-22

When my son, Moses, was first learning to read, he loved this book, but he would always ask to read "Piss for Passover!" (Notice the print of the title)

Nice Young Children's Book.......2005-04-14

This is a very nice children's book for Passover. Good for parents to read to their children or older children to read to younger siblings. Especially when they are waiting for dinner to be ready.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful book for little ones about God's immanance
Bittersweet and Poignant
Simple is best

Where Is God?
Lawrence Kushner , and Karen Kushner
Manufacturer: Skylight Paths Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1893361179

Book Description

To young children the world is full of things to see and touch. And by using those very examples, this enchanting book gently invites children to become aware of God's presence all around us.

Abridged from Because Nothing Looks Like God by Lawrence and Karen Kushner, Where Is God? has been specially adapted to board book format to delight and inspire younger readers.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful book for little ones about God's immanance.......2007-01-10

Kushner's Where Is God is a wonderful introduction to the concept that God's presence infuses nature and all human exchanges and experiences. I actually prefer this board book to the full-size, older-children's book it is drawn from (Because Nothing Looks Like God), because the board book forces one to linger on the poetry of the text and the tenderness of the cropped illustrations. I get choked up almost every time I read this little book to my two-year-old son, simply because it is so simple and so true, and because I feel it expresses exactly my belief about God's immanance and the joys of being human here on earth.

Bittersweet and Poignant.......2006-12-19

Never thought you'd hear someone say that about a board book? Check this one out. This book is a great introduction to the concept of God for small ones. Rather than a man in the clouds or a grandpa-like buddy, God is presented in a poetic, pantheistic way. The illustrations are sweet too.

Simple is best.......2005-08-11

This book is a great way to introduce preschoolers to the concept that God is everywhere. I bought the book to use as part of a children's sermon and will keep it to read to my grandchildren.

Celebrating Your New Jewish Daughter: Creating Jewish Ways to Welcome Baby Girls into the Covenant-New and Traditional Ceremonies

Average customer rating:

A ceremony to remember
Excellent Book
Best Possible Resource for Parents of Girls
an organic classic in the making, a must for your shelf
Casting light with a fresh perspective

Celebrating Your New Jewish Daughter: Creating Jewish Ways to Welcome Baby Girls into the Covenant-New and Traditional Ceremonies
Debra Nussbaum Cohen
Manufacturer: Jewish Lights Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 1580230903

Book Description

An indispensable “how-to” guide for creating lasting memories and special ceremonies as you welcome your new Jewish daughter.

When a son is born, every Jewish parent knows what ceremony will welcome him into the community and signal his part in the Jewish people-the brit milah.

What to do when a girl is born? How can you welcome your new daughter in a truly Jewish way, and celebrate your joy with family and friends? In the past, parents who wanted a simchat bat (celebration of a daughter) ceremony for their new daughter often had to start from scratch. Finally, this first-of-its-kind book gives families everything they need to plan the celebration.

History & Tradition: The roots of simchat bat in Jewish tradition, how it has evolved, and how the past can be used to bring today's dynamic ceremonies to life.

A How-to Guide: New and traditional ceremonies, complete with prayers, rituals, handouts to copy, and step-by-step instructions for creating your own unique ceremony.

Planning the Details: What to call your daughter's welcoming ceremony, when and where to have it, setting it up, how long it should be, how to handle the unexpected, how to prepare a program guide, and more.

Ideas & Information: Practical guidelines for planning the event, and special suggestions and resources for families of all constellations.

Customer Reviews:

A ceremony to remember.......2007-01-10

I have twin girls, and this book helped my husband and me create a fabulous ceremony to welcome our daughters into the covenant. This book is great for anyone who is having a baby nameing outside of a Temple. Our guests loved the ceremony so much that they actually kept copies of the service.

Excellent Book.......2006-02-25

This book was great for helping us plan our Bat Simcha. We purchased it even before our baby was born - before we knew the baby would be a girl. It provided many great ideas for creating either a Bat Simcha or a more personalized bris. We could not have planned such a meaningful ceremony without the help of this book.

Best Possible Resource for Parents of Girls.......2002-01-22

This is the best possible resource for parents of new baby girls who want to welcome them in a Jewish way. I found it extremely helpful. My wife and I felt somewhat confused, unsure of how to put a welcoming ceremony together for our new daughter, and this book took us through the process, step-by-step. It has an incredibly wide selection of readings, poems, blessings, prayers and songs from which to choose. Now we also give it as a baby gift to every new parent of baby girls we know.

an organic classic in the making, a must for your shelf.......2001-04-27

The introduction opens with, "Mazal Tov, You've Had a Baby Girl!" Everybody is familiar with a bris, or brit milah circumcision ceremony -- and in current practice, a festive celebration, for healthy baby boys on their eighth day after birth. But what do you do when you have a daughter? What are they, chopped liver? Since the early 1970's, some Jewish parents have been celebrating their daughters in original ways (Ezrat Nashim published the first ceremonies in 1977, and the havurah and renewal movements wrote about theirs starting around 1973). Debra Nussbaum Cohen, a resident of Park Slope Brooklyn, and mother who has known the joy of birth and the pain of loss, has created this essential guide to new and traditional ceremonies with which to welcome your new daughter to the world, the covenant, and the Jewish people. It will be a welcome addition to your Jewish bookshelf and your life. Consider this: what you create today will be a "tradition" for your descendants! Cohen started collecting organic Simchat Bat ceremonies when she was pregnant with her first child. For your Simchat Bat ceremony and celebration, she includes readings, poems, specialized readings for adoptions, blessings, prayers (in Hebrew, English transliterations and translations), history, songs, and rituals. It is an inclusive book that has sample ceremonies also crafted for adherents to traditional Orthodoxy, traditional Sephardic rite, contemporary rites, contemporary Orthodox, humanism, and modren mikveh rites. Part One consists of about two dozen pages that introduce you to welcoming ceremonies and Jewish tradition, including the idea of covenant, brit milah, the custom of gomel, and that of a new father being called to the Torah to recite blessings, announce the birth, and pray for his wife's recovery. Part Two consists of about four dozen pages on seriously practical considerations for your ceremony. It includes chapters on how to involve your non-Jewish loved ones or spouse, if necessary (through acknowledgement and readings); what to do in cases of adoption and cross-cultural adoption (remember, Moses was an adopted child, and Mordechai was probably an adoptive parent); and gay and lesbian parenthood. Part Three focuses on planning the event, creating programs, sanctifying the space, and deciding when to have the Simchat Bat (eighth day, 30th day, etc.). Part Four contains over 150 pages of sample ceremonies, and hundreds of readings and elements from which you can pick and choose. It includes selections for welcoming, naming, prayers of thanksgiving, parental blessings, acrostics, psalms, readings for relatives and friends, blessings for wine and bread, and rituals for brit nerot (light), brit mikvah (immersion), brit rechitzah (footwashing/handwashing), brit tallit (enfolding her into the covenant), brit kehillah (community), brit melach, and brit havdalah (transitions). The book succeeds so well, one wishes all the babies were girls (or maybe some things can be borrowed for future boys).

Casting light with a fresh perspective.......2001-04-17

I initially bought this book for friends with a newborn daughter. However, on the long flight home I began to read it for myself and was instantly taken in by the well-constructed and detailed case the author brings forth. The celebration of birth is a magnificent and unique experiece and should be shared by all in a special way regrdless of the child's gender. This book goes a long way to giving the reader many ideas that are delightful and inspiring without being 'new-agey'or 'preachy'. I highly recommend this read to anyone who has a baby daughter, baby boy, or no baby at all. This is an essential read for exploring modern ideas in traditional ceremony.

Average customer rating:

Don't rely on this book for Hebrew names
Complete, but not reliable
A little disappointing.
A great resource!
A Great Resource -- Goes Way Beyond Avraham & Sara

The Complete Book of Hebrew Baby Names
Smadar Shir Sidi
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0062548506

Book Description

The most comprehensive Hebrew baby name book available--thousands of listings--with advice on choosing names, naming ceremonies, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Don't rely on this book for Hebrew names.......2005-11-22

As someone who has lived about half my life in Israel and half my life in the States, I was looking forward to reading this book. I thought it would help me find a great Hebrew name for my baby. However, the majority of the names in this book are ridiculously outdated, or even not actual names at all! The book ended up giving my husband and I a great laugh, and good sarcastic comments, but I'm going to have to keep searching other books to find a reliable one from which to name my baby. If you're an American looking to find a Hebrew name, don't rely on this book, unless you or someone you know is fluent in Hebrew and can warn you of the many catastrophic "names".

Complete, but not reliable.......2004-01-08

Don't assume that a name from this book is genuine Hebrew name and will be familiar in Israel or to a native Hebrew speaker.

Thankfully before naming my baby I ran a few names from this book by friends who are Hebrew speakers living in Israel. Some of the names turned out to be not of Hebrew origin at all when the book claimed it to be true (for example, girl's name Luz). Some they told me were my invention (Rafaela for a girl - never heard of in Israel; the book never mentioned that even though of Hebrew origin, this name is not used for girls in Hebrew). Some had the meanings wrong (Adah means "eternal", not a variant of Adi meaning adornment as the book claims).

So the verdict is, read it for ideas of what you might like, but take it ALL with a big grain of salt.

A little disappointing........2003-04-16

I was a little disappointed with this book, mainly because it was published in the 80's and the lists are those used in the 80's, and not current for today (2003).

A great resource!.......2001-07-01

I have to confess right up front that I have a "thing" for names. Therefore, I own lots and lots of "name your baby" books. For naming your Jewish baby, this book is the best! The list of names is extensive with lots of uncommon (here in the States) choices. The book provides the Hebrew spelling as well as the English spelling. There also is a rating system showing the name's popularity in the U.S. and in Israel. If you're looking for a name for your Jewish baby and you want to go beyond the usual Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, Rachel, Jacob, etc., you need this book!

A Great Resource -- Goes Way Beyond Avraham & Sara.......2001-01-07

I bought this book to find a name for my second child. I love it. My baby is not even born yet, but it has helped me and my husband a great deal.I have already lent it to my sister and a close friend who have had babies recently. They loved it too. I especially liked the additional resources in back. There are lists of names for twins (boys, girls, and both), babies born in a certain Jewish month, and around various Jewish holidays.

It seems to be quite a comprehensive list. Smadar includes notes on popularity in Israel, as well as origin, meaning, and commonality in general. Also included is a note if the name can be used by either gender. If this is the case, Smadar will tell you if it is more comon for boys or for girls. This is very useful if you dislike names that aren't clearly one or the other. There are some names that I did not realize could be used by both females and males.

Book Description

To young children, the world is full of things to see and touch. And by using those very examples, this enchanting book gently invites children to become aware of God's presence all around us.

Abridged from Because Nothing Looks Like God by Lawrence and Karen Kushner, What Does God Look Like? has been specially adapted to board book format to delight and inspire younger readers.

Much has been written about the importance of reading simple, beautiful books to babies and preschoolers to stimulate brain development. But perhaps even more important, what you read begins to shape your child's world, and creates the images that will remain with him or her throughout life. We read books to our children about letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and safety, but do we give their minds the early food they need to think about life's bigger questions?

As spiritual development experts now tell us, each child develops an image of God by age 5, with or without religious instruction. What Does God Look Like? takes you and your child on an imaginative journey designed to help you open not only your child's mind, but your child's heart and soul as well.

Customer Reviews:

Gentle Theology with no Syrup Added.......2006-12-19

Finally, a children's book about God that won't give anyone a headache or a cavity. This book is beautiful and poetic in its approach and pretty much unbiased, other than leaning towards monotheism somewhat. A good antidote to the religious imperialism and sickly sweet treacle being passed off as religious education these days.

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