FICTION

A Book about Bupkes

by Leslie Kimmelman (text) & illus. by Roxana de Rond
Kar-Ben. Aug. 2023. 24p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781728460222.
COPY ISBN
PreS-K–A book with slightly loftier aims than usual, this one is about something and nothing simultaneously. Immediately children are informed that “bupkes” is a Yiddish word that means nothing. But can nothing really be something? With ink and gouache illustrations that are full of engaging characters, simple acts of seemingly no consequence turn out to be acts of kindness and community. A garden that is full becomes empty—bupkes—only to be turned into baskets of vegetables ready for sharing with neighbors.
VERDICT There is much to appreciate about this book about nothing and everything.
Reviewed by John Scott , Sep 15, 2023

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