The Very Crowded Sukkah

PreS-Gr 1—Sam, Ava, Mom, and Dad build a sukkah in the backyard to celebrate Sukkot. A rainstorm delays their meal in the hut, but while the family is indoors, the booth shelters insects and wildlife. Sunshine returns, the family eats dinner in the sukkah, and animals return at nightfall to enjoy it. The characters are depicted as contemporary non-Orthodox Jews. The story itself assumes familiarity with the customs of the holiday, but an author's note provides more information. Sukkot tales are few and far between, but this one does little to fill the gap. The writing is weak and the digital chalk cartoons are uninspired. The internal logic of this story is shaky. It is unclear why a mixed crowd of wild and domestic predators and prey animals is attracted to the empty nighttime sukkah, or why this is the climax of the story. Buy only for large collections with a strong need of Sukkot stories.—Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL