Mitzi the dog takes a ride to the Shalom Home and watches from the window as the children bring “New Year wishes” along with challah, apples, and lemonade to the elderly residents. “Games and stories to be told, fun for people young and old — but not for…DOGS” until the nurse invites Mitzi inside where, to everyone’s delight, she brings her own “doggie New Year wishes.” Colorful textured collage illustrations accompany the simply rhyming text and cheerfully depict a contemporary, multi-cultural cast of characters. Rosh Hashanah is never mentioned or explained limiting the audience to children already familiar with the holiday and the concept of mitzvot. However, the book will have widespread appeal in Jewish preschool settings and with families who have participated in the type of mitzvah project with their own dogs. It should be noted that the pages of this 8×8 inch board book are thinner and flimsier than the publisher’s previous offerings. Recommended for ages 1 – 4.
Rachel Kamin has been a synagogue librarian and Jewish educator for over twenty-five years and has worked at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, IL since 2008, currently serving as the Director of Lifelong Learning. A past chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee and past editor of Book Reviews for Children & Teens for the Association of Jewish Libraries News & Reviews, her articles and book reviews appear in numerous publications. She has been a member of the American Library Association’s Sophie Brody Book Award Committee since 2021.
