Two more additions to the Young Lamplighters series, featuring children of Chabad Lubavitch shluchim posted world-wide to bring Jewish services to all corners of the globe, have been released.
Mussia lives in Morocco and describes her life there in colorful and appealing terms. She tells of donkeys and horse-drawn carriages sharing the roads with fast-moving cars. She describes the relationship of her community with Morocco’s king and describes picturesque sights such as goats climbing trees to graze. Water peddlers, colorful costumes, market vendors, as well as mountains and bridges are described in ways to pique the interest of a young reader.
Shaina, who lives in Norway, describes her life in Oslo and focuses on points of interests such as daylight lasting past midnight in the summer but lasting only very briefly in the winter and she tells the reader how this affects the observance of Shabbat. She describes fjords and snowy mountains and discusses significant sports such as skiing and skating. Shaina also describes the royal palace and other beautiful sites in and around the city.
Both girls tell in detail about Jewish life in their respective cities, the kinds of education each receives, the special foods they eat, and how their families celebrate Shabbat and holidays. Both books are filled with beautiful color photographs which give the reader an excellent feel for the lives being described in the text. Both books have additional material of interest as back matter such as “Fascinating Facts”, a recipe or craft, and a list of foreign phrases.
Recommended for ages 7 to 12.
Additional Books Featured in Review
Michal Hoschander Malen is the editor of Jewish Book Council’s young adult and children’s book reviews. A former librarian, she has lectured on topics relating to literacy, run book clubs, and loves to read aloud to her grandchildren.