By
– March 14, 2012
As a boy and his mother run errands through town, he notes that many things cannot be seen, even though he knows they are there, including air, electricity, gravity, and wind. “Feelings can’t be seen, but they are real.” Thoughts, including the boy’s bubbled musings about pizza, his goldfish, and giving charity, are on the list, as well as magnetism, voices, sounds, and smells. The two most important invisible things, the neshama (soul) and Hashem (God) complete the list. A simple rhyme scheme and colorful but unsophisticated illustrations make this a pleasant book for very young readers who often ask philosophical questions about things they cannot see. While there is a build up describing God, there is no discussion of the soul. The Hebrew words are neither explained nor defined, and the illustrations depict only the Orthodox style of dress, which makes this a good choice for Orthodox readers. Pre-school – age 5.
Kathe Pinchuck, M.L.I.S., is the librarian of Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, New Jersey. She is currently the chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries.