The Book of Life: Jewish Kidlit (Mostly)

The Wolf from Baghdad graphic novel reveals a slice of little-known Jewish history, based on the Iraqi family of author/illustrator Carol Isaacs. She's an Jew who grew up in England, but she describes her home life as "Little Baghdad." Her graphic novel explores Jewish life in Iraq before the Farhud, the ethnic cleansing of Baghdadi Jews in 1941. Carol combines fascinating history with atmospheric art and traditional music in this amazing interview!

Read Yad Mizrah Magazine, the first and only Sephardic and Mizrahi literary magazine. READ HERE

My "Jewish Joy" series continues on Multicultural Kid Blogs. Here's my interview with past Book of Life guest Rachelle Burk. READ HERE

Virtual book launch for The Garlic Eaters: a conversation with Madison Safer and Suzy Ultman moderated by Jessica Tamar Deutsch, Thursday, October 22, 7PM ET. REGISTER HERE

A free 6-hour virtual event for Jewish authors is being held by 70 Faces Media on Wednesday, October 28, 12-6pm ET. REGISTER HERE

• Transcript

• Carol Isaacs' website, The Surreal McCoy

• Buy The Cloak from Baghdad or The Wolf of Baghdad

• Download reading/teaching guides for The Cloak from Baghdad or The Wolf of Baghdad

• Credits

Music from 3yin shared by permission.

A few years ago at an Association of Jewish Libraries conference, Jill Rothstein gave a talk about the work of JBI Library, which provides Jewish services and materials to blind, low vision, and print disabled people. I was absolutely blown away by the ingenious devices she described and moved by JBI's dedication to ensuring access to ALL book lovers, no matter what barriers they face. I'm so glad to finally have Jill join me on the podcast!

Jill invites us to make tactile Chanukah cards that JBI will send to low-vision patrons to enjoy with their sense of touch. See the Show Notes to order free supplies by October 12!

The Association of Jewish Libraries has published its Holiday Highlights list for Fall 2026.

Read about PJ Library's Sephardic Stories Initiative in this article in The Forward

Join over 6,000 leaders in signing an open letter rejecting the "genocide" libel against Israel, sponsored by Creative Community for Peace. ADD YOUR NAME

Webinar "October 7 in Graphic Novels," with Israeli cartoonist Asaf Hanuka, co-creator of The Day Everything Changed: Ten Stories from October 7th, and writer and actor Omri Rose, co-author of Echoes of October, Tuesday, October 13, 1:30PM ET. REGISTER HERE

A free 6-hour virtual event for Jewish authors is being held by 70 Faces Media on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 12-6pm ET. REGISTER HERE

• Transcript

• JBI Library's website

• Watch a video of a refreshable Braille display in action

• Jill's Tikkun Olam suggestion: Watch these short videos to help increase awareness, understanding and comfort with working with people with disabilities!

• Heidi's Tikkun Olam suggestion: Make a plan to vote in the US Midterm Elections using the tools at NoKings.org

• Book of Life episode about Hereville, the graphic novel available from JBI with audio description

• Order tactile Chanukah cards by October 12 and watch this video to get ideas for decorating your cards

• Credits

Like most Jewish holidays, the meaning of Sukkot is multi-layered: it commemorates the ancient harvest pilgrimage to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, but it also represents the temporary dwellings used during the Exodus from Egypt. In modern times we tend to think of it as a chance to reconnect with nature, gives thanks for our blessings, and gather with community.

In terms of kidlit, Sukkot is the winning-est holiday of the season this year, with multiple titles coming out at the same time! We expect lots of books each year for Passover and Hanukkah, but it's unusual for Sukkot to be so well represented. I couldn't choose, so I invited three authors into my virtual sukkah for a group discussion.

On the Jewish Book Garden we've released a Fall 2026 Preview of Jewish Kidlit, August through December. READ HERE

Interview with Jewish author Judy Blume on NPR LISTEN HERE

The Jewish Comics Library of Seattle collects works on Jewish themes and by Jewish comics artists. The collection is available to the public at a regularly scheduled pop-up library on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at the Couth Buzzard Bookstore from 11AM-3PM. You can also subscribe to their Substack newsletter, Graven, HERE.

SCHTICK: Reading and Creating Jewish Graphic Novels is an online course running September through April. They charge tuition but scholarships are available. LEARN MORE HERE

Hanukkah Cards for the Blind: request supplies from JBI Library by October 12 to make tactile cards; return cards for distribution by November 12, 2026. LEARN MORE HERE

• Transcript
• Amy Fellner Dominy's website, Instagram, Facebook
• Barbara Lerman-Golomb's website, Instagram, Facebook
• Sidura Ludwig's website, Instagram, Facebook
• Buy A House with No Door | The Sukkah Hop | Our Spectacular Sukkah | or A Purr-fect Sukkot (another book published this year that I found out about too late)
• Tikkun Olam suggestion: Support the American Library Association
• View Amy's, Barbara's, and Sidura's favorite illustrations
• Lesléa Newman's Guest Post about The Last Flame Last
• Info about Hanukkah cards for the blind at JBIlibrary.org
• Share Your Shelf bonus segment with Amy, Barbara, and Sidura
• Credits

Tashlich is the Rosh Hashanah custom of tossing bread or other small objects into moving water, to throw away our "sins" or our negativity. But today we're going to learn about something different — reverse tashlich, in which we remove our sins from the water. We'll explore the picture book biography, Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah: Reverse Tashlich for a Better World by Rachelle Burk, which profiles Rabbi Ed Rosenthal and his Jewish scuba-diving ocean cleanup project, Tikkun HaYam, or Repair the Sea.

To celebrate the new year, this episode's Share Your Shelf bonus segment is available to everyone, free and paid subscribers alike! You'll hear it at the end of the episode, so just keep listening. Shana tova!

My "Jewish Joy" series continues on Multicultural Kid Blogs. Here's my interview with past Book of Life guest Adam Gidwitz. READ HERE

Interesting article from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: "Feeling excluded in the literary world, Jews are launching their own publishing houses" READ HERE

The Jewish Comics Library of Seattle collects works on Jewish themes and by Jewish comics artists. The collection is available to the public at a regularly scheduled pop-up library on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at the Couth Buzzard Bookstore from 11AM-3PM. You can also subscribe to their Substack newsletter, Graven, HERE.

Public libraries are invited to apply for the 2026-2027 cohort of Between Two Worlds, a national program from the Yiddish Book Center that explores Jewish culture and identity through Yiddish literature in translation. Deadline to apply: August 14, 2026. APPLY HERE

The Jewish Book Garden's kidlit discussion series, "How Does Our Garden Grow?" will meet on Sunday, August 16 at 1:30PM ET for a Zoom discussion of the picture book Shabbat Is... by A.J. Sass. REGISTER HERE

• Episode TRANSCRIPT
• Buy Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah
• Rachelle Burk's website
• Rabbi Ed's Repair the Sea website
• The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau trailer and playlist
• Tikkun Olam: Sign up for Reverse Tashlich and avoid single-use plastic
• Sample Share Your Shelf bonus segment — free for all subscribers this month! This is what the bonus segments always look like, take a peek.

From Rabbi Ed's Shelf:

• Why the Moon Only Glows by Dina Rosenfeld

• Hairy McClary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd (see Sam Neill read-aloud video)

• The Korban Mincha

From Rachelle's Shelf:

• People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (hear 2008 Book of Life interview)

• Toby Belfer Never Had a Christmas Tree by Gloria Teles Pushker

And today, one from Heidi's Shelf:

• The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin (not Jewish, but you'll hear why when you listen to the segment)

Behrman House has been publishing Jewish educational materials and children's books for over 100 years, and up until now, has been a family-run business. But David Behrman and his wife Vicki Weber are about to enter their well-deserved retirement, and they are passing the business out of the family into the capable hands of their friend and colleague Derek Stordahl. I spoke to all three of them about the history, and the future, of Behrman House and its children's imprint, Apples & Honey Press.

This is Part 2 in my 2-part "New Faces" series. Part 1 introduces you to the new Editorial Director at Kar-Ben Publishing, Leila Sales. If you haven't heard it, go back and listen!

The Jewish Book Village has posted a how-to guide on Instagram, Supporting Jewish Authors. READ HERE

Mizrahi Women Authors on Story, Identity, and Visibility, Wednesday, July 22, 4PM ET. Sponsored by ALA EMIERT, on Zoom. REGISTER HERE

The Jewish Book Garden kicks off its Zoom discussion series "How Does Our Garden Grow?" with a discussion of the picture book Shabbat Is… by past Book of Life guest A.J. Sass, on Sunday August 16, 1:30PM ET. REGISTER HERE

Fight censorship by calling your Congressional representatives about book banning bills. Learn about 3 bad bills from Authors Against Book Bans, and find your reps' contact info HERE.

• Transcript
• Behrman House website, Facebook, and Instagram
• Apples & Honey Press website and Instagram
• Press release about the change in leadership
• Past Book of Life interviews with Vicki Weber in 2017 and 2018
• Tikkun Olam suggestion: Support Jewish day schools and congregational schools
• Bonus content for this episode on Substack
• New Faces Part 1: Leila Sales of Kar-Ben
• Derek's Share Your Shelf bonus segment (with comments from David and Vicki)
• Credits

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

Kar-Ben Publishing has been producing Jewish children's books for over 50 years. After the recent retirement of 20-year veteran Joni Sussman, we've got new leadership at Kar-Ben with Editorial Director Leila Sales. Here's my conversation with Leila about the behind-the-scenes transition at the beloved institution that is Kar-Ben. This is Part 1 in my 2-part "New Faces" series. Part 2 will introduce you to the new owner of Behrman House and Apples & Honey Press, Derek Stordahl. Episode drops July 16, 2026.

Author Jane Yolen z"l passed away recently at age 87. She was the incredibly prolific author of 450 books, both secular and Jewish. She wrote the landmark 1988 Holocaust novel The Devil's Arithmetic, and she was the winner of the 2022 Sydney Taylor Body of Work Award. I interviewed Jane Yolen in 2018, along with her co-author Barbara Diamond Goldin, about their book Meet Me at the Well: The Girls and Women of the Bible. Stick around after Leila's interview for an excerpt from Jane Yolen, and click the "Remembering Jane Yolen" link below for the full episode.

LEARN MORE:

• Kar-Ben Publishing
• Leila Sales' website
• Book of Life interview with past Kar-Ben leadership: Joni Sussman and Fran Greenman-Schmitz
• The Book Engineer
• Champions of Change podcast from Capitol One
• Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land film from John Deere
• Highlighted Kar-Ben Book: The Right Blessing by Rabbi Kerry M. Olitsky and Rabbi Samantha Orshan Kahn
• Tikkun Olam suggestion: support National Public Radio
• Bonus content on Substack
• Leila's Share Your Shelf Segment
• Remembering Jane Yolen (1939-2026)

CREDITS:

• Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
• Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries
• Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books
• Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
• Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com
• Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens
• Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
• Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast
• Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

What better way to kick off pleasure reading season than with a fun Jewish romantasy? A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon offers a richly-imagined fantasy realm, a magic school, puzzles, quests, adventure, and of course, romance. When I got to the last page and realized it ends on a cliff-hanger, I was low key distraught! That's why I had to call up author Hannah Reynolds to chat with her about this delightful romp, such a departure from her usual contemporary YA romances.

SHOW NOTES:

• Hannah Reynolds' website and Instagram
• Buy A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon
• The Jewish Book Garden's Summer Reading Club
• BookBub (Hannah's day job)
• Bonus content on Substack

CREDITS:

• Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
• Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries
• Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books
• Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
• Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com
• Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens
• Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
• Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast
• Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

My friend Susan Kusel has all the Jewish literary bases covered. She's an author, she's a synagogue librarian, she's been a buyer for a bookstore, and like me, she's a past chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee. We are basically Best Book Buddies, and we do a lot of projects together to promote Jewish kidlit. Our newest project is The Jewish Book Garden, a website/newsletter on Substack. In this episode, Susan and I break down what The Jewish Book Garden is, who it's for, and what you can expect to find in your inbox when you subscribe to it. Don't miss our announcements about our Summer Reading Club and our new Zoom discussion group!

SHOW NOTES:

• The Jewish Book Garden
• The Jewish Book Garden Summer Reading Club
• Jewish American Heritage Month | Canadian Jewish Heritage Month
• Heidi's Tikkun Olam suggestion: support Indivisible.org
• Susan Kusel's website
• Susan's Share Your Shelf segment
• Bonus content on Substack

CREDITS:

• Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
• Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries
• Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books
• Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
• Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com
• Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens
• Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
• Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast
• Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

Click here for full SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

I recently heard a piece on NPR about the little jars that hold yarhzeit memorial candles, and how some people repurpose these glasses to hold juice or to use as cookie cutters. It was an interesting look at how death is treated as a part of life in the Jewish tradition. That concept is very beautifully conveyed by the two picture books we'll be talking about in this episode. My guests are Alison Goldberg, author of The Remembering Candle, and Richard Ho, author of A Flame Burns On.

SHOW NOTES:

• Alison Goldberg's website and Instagram
• Richard Ho's website and Instagram
• Buy The Remembering Candle | Eighteen Flowers for Grandma
• Buy A Flame Burns On | Two New Years
• Suggested read-alikes: Goodbye: A First Conversation About Grief, Something Sweet: A Sitting Shiva Story, I Wish That You Knew
• Tikkun olam suggestion: support Food Research & Action Center, frac.org
• NPR story on yahrzeit candles
• Bonus content on Substack

CREDITS:

• Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
• Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries
• Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books
• Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
• Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com
• Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens
• Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
• Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast
• Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

Click here for full SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

Argentine author Ana María Shua has written over 100 books and is super famous in Latin America but The Passover Pet Surprise is her first Jewish children's book. As you'd expect from such an accomplished writer, it's a well told, heartwarming story with a hint of ambiguity, which works well during a holiday where we are commanded both to retell and to inquire!

SHOW NOTES:

• Author Ana María Shua's website (in Spanish)
• Illustrator Ángeles Ruiz's website
• Buy The Passover Pet Surprise or La gran sorpresa de Pésaj
• Read Heidi's review of The Passover Pet Surprise on The Jewish Book Garden
• Tikkun Olam suggestion: support Magen David Adom

CREDITS:

• Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
• Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries
• Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books
• Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
• Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com
• Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens
• Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
• Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast
• Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.