FICTION

One Good Deed

by Terri FIELDS
illus. by Deborah Melmon. 24p. Kar-Ben. Aug. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781467734783; pap. $7.99. ISBN 9781467734790; ebk. $6.99. ISBN 9781467788410.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—One good deed deserves another and another and another as a neighborhood comes together in a string of thoughtfulness that begins when Jake shares mulberries with his neighbor. She in turn shares a pie, which leads to raked lawns, fixed computers, and more and more acts of kindness that brighten the street and bring people together. The concept and importance of the mitzvah is shown, not told, in this well-written and nicely illustrated book. Neighbors pay it forward, one to the next, with a thought and an action. Because the term mitzvah is used only at the very end, this story could be used by religious educators of other faiths to demonstrate the power of kindness.
VERDICT A recommended purchase for Judaic collections and others.
Reviewed by Martha Link Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC
Jake unknowingly sets off a positive chain reaction in his neighborhood with one small act of kindness, transforming it from "dark and gloomy" to "warm and sunny" as each neighbor decides to pay it forward. While clearly targeting a Jewish audience, the book uses the Hebrew word "mitzvah" (defined in the end matter) only once, and the detailed, relationship-focused illustrations portray a multicultural neighborhood.
 , Aug 01, 2015

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