Simpson, Lesley, and Nicole In Bosch. The Shabbat Box. Grand Rapids: Kar-Ben, 2001.
“Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) comes every week. It is a time of joy and family celebration. On Friday at sundown, Jewish families welcome Shabbat by lighting the candles and saying blessings over wine and challah (braided bread)” (Simpson, 1).
This brief quote is given before the story begins and immediately allows readers of all religions and ethnicity’s to understand what the book is going to be discussing. This book follows a classroom ritual of giving out “The Shabbat Box” every Friday afternoon. Each week a student is picked to take the box consisting of fresh challah, candlesticks, a Kiddush cup, and a challah cover home with them to share with their family. When the school week begins the kids are to bring the box back to school with them for the next student to take home that Friday. The children all have an overwhelming excitement to take the box home with them and cannot wait for their own turn. The narrator follows Ira as he patiently waits his turn for the box. When that winter day comes, a storm arrives and he ends up loosing the box. Ira is devastated and knows his class will be so disappointed he lost the box. He decides to create his own box, decorating a pillow case as a challah cover, painting grapes on his water cup for a wine glass and even adding candies and treats his class will enjoy. When he comes to school he reveals this new Shabbat box and the class goes wild. They love everything he did and cannot wait to take it home. After this show and tell the teacher reveals she found the original Shabbat box in the snow and has decided to keep both in the classroom so two kids a week will be able to take this special box home.
As a future teacher I love the idea of allowing children to take something that is important to them in the classroom home with them. I think Lesley Simpson does a fantastic job in giving an accurate portrayal of how kids feel about showing their families important items from their classroom. In my own experience I have witnessed this excitement kids have when showing off new items that have a special significance to them. I feel as though the author sticks with the Jewish American theme throughout informing the readers about the Shabbat ritual. She does not give an overbearing description of everything entailed however; people may feel more educated on a subject they were previously unfamiliar with.
The illustrations in this book are also colorful, bright and upbeat. I want to continue reading to see the pictures as the story progresses. People of other religions will see that Jewish Americans dress and look just like them. The school setting looks like any other school, Ira’s home looks like any other home and the neighborhood looks like any other neighborhood. Children and adults can relate to the illustrations because they are so neutral throughout. Nicole Bosch does add her own touches to the pictures giving the men kippot, a small cap they wear to show their respect for God as well as adding Hebrew letters on the chalkboard in the classroom. These small images add more the Jewish American aspect of the book.
One thing I particularly enjoyed at the very end of the book was a page titled, “Make your own Shabbat Box”. Reading this book I am sure kids would love to make their own and include their own special decorations and uniqueness. This is a fun activity for everyone and does not necessarily have to be a “Shabbat box” but a box that contains important items for any ritual or holiday. I really enjoyed this book throughout and think it is a great resource to not only teach children about Shabbat but about the overall excitement felt by children when they get the chance to share something about their school life at home.
This brief quote is given before the story begins and immediately allows readers of all religions and ethnicity’s to understand what the book is going to be discussing. This book follows a classroom ritual of giving out “The Shabbat Box” every Friday afternoon. Each week a student is picked to take the box consisting of fresh challah, candlesticks, a Kiddush cup, and a challah cover home with them to share with their family. When the school week begins the kids are to bring the box back to school with them for the next student to take home that Friday. The children all have an overwhelming excitement to take the box home with them and cannot wait for their own turn. The narrator follows Ira as he patiently waits his turn for the box. When that winter day comes, a storm arrives and he ends up loosing the box. Ira is devastated and knows his class will be so disappointed he lost the box. He decides to create his own box, decorating a pillow case as a challah cover, painting grapes on his water cup for a wine glass and even adding candies and treats his class will enjoy. When he comes to school he reveals this new Shabbat box and the class goes wild. They love everything he did and cannot wait to take it home. After this show and tell the teacher reveals she found the original Shabbat box in the snow and has decided to keep both in the classroom so two kids a week will be able to take this special box home.
As a future teacher I love the idea of allowing children to take something that is important to them in the classroom home with them. I think Lesley Simpson does a fantastic job in giving an accurate portrayal of how kids feel about showing their families important items from their classroom. In my own experience I have witnessed this excitement kids have when showing off new items that have a special significance to them. I feel as though the author sticks with the Jewish American theme throughout informing the readers about the Shabbat ritual. She does not give an overbearing description of everything entailed however; people may feel more educated on a subject they were previously unfamiliar with.
The illustrations in this book are also colorful, bright and upbeat. I want to continue reading to see the pictures as the story progresses. People of other religions will see that Jewish Americans dress and look just like them. The school setting looks like any other school, Ira’s home looks like any other home and the neighborhood looks like any other neighborhood. Children and adults can relate to the illustrations because they are so neutral throughout. Nicole Bosch does add her own touches to the pictures giving the men kippot, a small cap they wear to show their respect for God as well as adding Hebrew letters on the chalkboard in the classroom. These small images add more the Jewish American aspect of the book.
One thing I particularly enjoyed at the very end of the book was a page titled, “Make your own Shabbat Box”. Reading this book I am sure kids would love to make their own and include their own special decorations and uniqueness. This is a fun activity for everyone and does not necessarily have to be a “Shabbat box” but a box that contains important items for any ritual or holiday. I really enjoyed this book throughout and think it is a great resource to not only teach children about Shabbat but about the overall excitement felt by children when they get the chance to share something about their school life at home.
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