Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Even Higher

Young Reuven has a problem. Every year, on the day before Rosh Hashanah, the beloved rabbi of the village of Nemirov disappears until nightfall and no one knows where he goes. The villagers suspect that he ascends to heaven to beg forgiveness for their sins, but Reuven’s friends want the truth. They appoint him to solve the mystery — after all, he is the smallest and fastest of the group — but how? That evening, when Reuven watches the rabbi through the synagogue window, he gets an idea. Determined to follow him at daybreak, Reuven is baffled as the rabbi, disguised as a simple woodcutter, passes the synagogue, the cheder, and Beryl the Baker’s house — his usual stops — only to enter the great forest. Where could the rabbi of Nemirov possibly be going? Adapted from a beloved story by I.L. Peretz, Richard Ungar once again captures the joyous spirit of the Jewish folktale with lighthearted humor and a rich palette of colors as vibrant as the story he tells.

The Black Dot

Children wake up one morning and find a black dot on their playground. When it isn’t easily removed, each has a different way of coping with it.

There are no currently English translations of this Arabic text available.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 4

Juan Bobo: Four Folktales From Puerto Rico (I Can Read Book 3)

Mama puts Juan Bobo to work whenever he is having a good time. But he always finds a way to make work fun — like using baskets instead of buckets to carry water, or sprinkling the pig with Mama’s favorite perfume.

The White Ram: A Story Of Abraham And Isaac

Made on the sixth day of Creation, a white ram waits patiently in the Garden of Eden. The other animals leave one by one, but the ram waits and waits until he is needed to fulfill God’s will. Running to the aid of Abraham, the ram must prevail over many temptations in order to save a child. In this lyrically told and beautifully illustrated story, a white ram sacrifices himself to save a boy’s life. It is a book that will be adored by readers of all faiths and ages, and will be of special interest during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

The Shadow of a Flying Bird: A Legend from the Kurdistan Jews

This powerful and poetic story, drawn from a Kurdistani tale based on the Old Testament, retells the story of the death of Moses. With graceful and moving prose and richly colored illustrations, Gerstein has created a memorable book.

After The Flood

This sequel to The Ark traces the establishment and development of communities on earth and offers an original theory for events that followed the Great Flood. Geisert’s beautiful, full-color etchings alternate between panoramic views and detailed glimpses of everything from the ark to Mount Ararat. “With a stroke of originality, Geisert continues the oft-told tale of the Great Flood by imagining life for Noah and his retinue as the waters begin to recede . . . An understated, quietly powerful book.” — Publishers Weekly