Interior art from Many Things at Once by Veera Hiranandani, illustrated by Nadia Alam. Courtesy of Random House Studio.

The Jewish experience is remarkably varied and diverse; these titles reflect that diversity in culture, race, and format. So often, works centering Jewish characters focus on holidays and history. While some of these aspects are included, this roundup celebrates Jewish joy in modern times, Jewish fables and songs, creativity, love, family, and the many ways different Jews live, work, and exist in the modern and historical world. Additionally, community is one of the most important aspects of Judaism, and that is showcased here across genres and time periods.

The offerings include a story about a child accepting her dual heritage of a Jewish mother and a Hindu father, as well as a family that celebrates Chinese New Year and Rosh Hashanah. In this list is a familiar tale of the biblical Joseph’s amazing overcoat, and the far less-familiar immigrant perspective of setting up a family business in a new country. There’s a Sukkot in Uganda, a seder in Depression-era Washington, DC, and another set in COVID-19-era Jerusalem. Family is the thing, and so are the celebrations. From the personal to the universal, the gamut of human experience runs through these picture books.

BEHAR, Ruth. Tía Fortuna’s New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey. illus. by Devon Holzwarth. Knopf. 2022. ISBN 9780593172414.
K-Gr 4–Tía Fortuna grew up in Havana, but has lived in her casita on the Seaway in Miami for many years. Today she is moving, and niece Estrella is sad. But they spend the day together celebrating the wonders of their history and the joys of the Seaway; upon arrival at the new home, they find diverse new friends and beginnings. This lovely depiction of the experience of Sephardic Jews celebrates their language and culture in a child-centric story complemented by illustrations featuring the movement and vibrant colors of Miami.

COHEN, Paula. Big Dreams, Small Fish. illus. by author. Levine Querido. 2022. ISBN 9781646141265.
K-Gr 2–Shirley’s family’s store in their new country is doing well, other than their inability to sell any gefilte fish to their gentile clientele. When the adults are called away, Shirley puts a free can of gefilte fish in everyone’s shopping bag, making it the new local delicacy. The pencil sketch and digital art makes the historical setting come to life, peopling it with distinctive characters, a spunky heroine, and a faithful cat. This lovely window into a Jewish immigration experience includes a glossary and recipe.

HIRANANDANI, Veera. Many Things at Once. illus. by Nadia Alam. Random House Studio. 2025. ISBN 9780593643907.
K-Gr 1–The unnamed American narrator has a Jewish mother and a Hindu father. Her parents tell her the stories of her grandparents who survived persecution in Poland and Partition in India. While she loves both of her backgrounds, sometimes she feels that she is neither Jewish enough nor Hindu enough. However, as she observes the other interracial and interfaith families around her, she comes to embrace her unique heritage.

HO, Richard. Two New Years. illus. by Lynn Scurfield. Chronicle. 2023. ISBN 9781797212814.
K-Gr 3–The unnamed multicultural narrator’s family celebrates both Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Chinese New Year. With concise text and delicately colorful ink illustrations that use facing pages to showcase the two holidays in parallel, Ho and Scurfield celebrate the joy, differences, and similarities in the two cultures. This truly encapsulates how families effectively combine their traditions into a meaningful whole.

KIFFEL-ALCHEH, Jamie. Kol Hakavod: Way to Go! illus. by Sarah-Jayne Mercer. Lerner/Kar-Ben. 2019. ISBN 9781541522114.
PreS-Gr 2–Kol Hakavod is an affirmation of positive behavior, and this book celebrates the little things anyone can do to make the world a better place. From giving up a bus seat, to cleaning up without being asked, to inviting a new classmate to join in, to waiting, sharing, or helping, the multiracial cast of children is depicted modeling a variety of good deeds. Mercer employs spot art and single-page, simple colorful illustrations to provide movement and showcase the characters’ actions in Kiffel-Alcheh’s spare text.

KUSEL, Susan. The Passover Guest. illus. by Sean Rubin. Holiday House/Neal Porter. 2020. ISBN 9780823445622.
K-Gr 3–It’s 1933 in Washington, DC, and Muriel’s family has no food for their Passover seder. After giving her last penny to a juggler, she hurries home to find him knocking on her door. A bountiful seder meal appears, but he is gone. After a blessing from the rabbi, the whole community sits down to celebrate. Rubin recreates the 1930s setting with meticulous detail: Muriel’s red cap stands out on the pages, the cherry blossoms fill the endpapers, and the use of darker colors depict melancholy and then a glowing night. Notes from the author and illustrator include the provenance of the story and information on Passover.

LUDWIG, Sidura. Rising. illus. by Sophia Vincent Guy. Candlewick. 2024. ISBN 9781536225495.
K-Gr 1–Every week the unnamed narrator aids their pregnant mother in mixing, kneading, braiding, and baking the challah bread for the Friday night Shabbat meal. Ludwig’s spare text combined with Guy’s detailed, textured, mixed media illustrations celebrate this weekly ritual and the time of rest that follows. The atmospheric, engaging story culminates in a final spread including the new baby as they start again another week, always using the blue flowered bowl. Includes a glossary, an author’s note, and a recipe for challah.

LYONS, Erica. Alone Together on Dan Street. illus. by Jen Jamieson. Apples and Honey. 2022. ISBN 9781681155968.
K-Gr 2–It is the era of COVID-19 in Jerusalem, and everyone is trapped inside. As Mira practices the four questions on the balcony of her building, her elderly neighbor joins her, since he will be having Passover alone. This sparks an idea, and Mira invites the whole neighborhood to celebrate together, by having their seders on their balconies. Lyons effectively captures the pandemic experience, while giving Mira agency to bring her diverse neighborhood together to celebrate a holiday that encourages community.

MARSHALL, Linda Elovitz. Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story. illus. by Zara González Hoang. Abrams/Appleseed. 2022. ISBN 9781419744976.
PreS-Gr 2–Sparse poetic text celebrates various changes and experiences throughout a year in this engaging Rosh Hashanah book. The illustrations depict a multicultural cast of round-faced, large-eyed children celebrating holidays and milestones, making mistakes, and overcoming obstacles. It culminates in a Rosh Hashanah celebration in which the entire cast appears. The accessible text and detailed art in this introduction to the holiday will appeal to preschoolers and early elementary children alike.

NAMBI, Shoshana. The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda. illus. by Moran Yogev. Kalaniot. 2022. ISBN 9781735087580.
K-Gr 1–Shoshi loves the harvest festival of Sukkot, when all the families in her Ugandan Jewish community build and decorate Sukkahs. The rabbi then judges which of these temporary huts with partially open roofs is the most beautiful. However, after a storm knocks many of the huts down, the whole village works together to rebuild the most damaged one. The color-saturated, naïve, woodblock-style art perfectly brings to life this little-known Jewish community. Back matter includes a glossary and more information on the Abayudaya Jews.

NEWMAN, Leslea. Joyful Song: A Naming Story. illus. by Susan Gal. Levine Querido. 2024. ISBN 9781646143702.
K-Gr 3–Zachary, Mama, and Mommy are walking to Shabbat services with their new baby. Along the way, they encounter a diverse series of neighbors, who they invite to join them for the baby’s naming ceremony. At last they arrive, and the little one’s name is revealed: Aliza Shira, meaning “joyful song.” This delightful book celebrates the delights of welcoming a new baby into an interracial lesbian family without needing to point it out in words. Gal’s use of rainbow colors and detailed images center a proud big brother in a loving family and community.

SHARKAN, Danielle. Sharing Shalom. illus. by Selina Alko. Holiday House. 2024. ISBN 9780823455560.
PreS-Gr 2–Leila loves going to Hebrew school. But when her synagogue is vandalized, she hides her Jewish identity. When her family next returns to the synagogue, they discover that the community has come together to fix it, instilling Leila with a sense of “shalom,” or peace, and the desire to share it. Acrylic and collage artwork capture Leila’s emotions; these celebrate Judaism and her sense of self.

TABACK, Simms. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. illus. by author. Viking. 1999. ISBN 9780670878550.
K-Gr 3–In this Caldecott-winning retelling of a Jewish folk song, Taback creatively uses cutouts as the well-worn overcoat gets subsequently made into smaller and smaller items. Taback’s brief text and use of bold colors and a naïve style will entice children of all ages, and invite repeat readings.

TARCOV, Susan. The Rabbi and His Donkey. illus. by Diana Renjina. Lerner/Kar-Ben. 2023. ISBN 9781728445595.
PreS-Gr 2–Written from the point of view of historical figure Maimonides’s donkey, this book celebrates the wisdom in taking one’s time. Maimonides rides his donkey Hamor to the Sultan’s house each day, thinking aloud and teaching Hamor wisdom as they go. When the Sultan gives Maimonides a horse to make his trip faster, Maimonides finds he no longer has time to gather his thoughts. Renjina’s illustrations imbue donkey, horses, and people with personality for an accessible story. Back matter offers further information on the origin of the story.

WALLMARK, Laurie. Rivka’s Presents. illus. by Adelina Lirius. Random House Studio. 2023. ISBN 9780593482070.
PreS-Gr 2–It is 1918 on the Lower East Side, and Rivka can’t wait to start school. But Papa is ill, and Mama workz, so Rivka has to watch her little sister. Creative Rivka barters doing work for the grocer and tailor for lessons, until finally, in the spring, Papa recovers and she can attend school. Lirius’s textured mixed-media illustrations effectively capture the life of a Jewish girl in 1918’s Lower East Side.

YACOWITZ, Caryn. Shoshi’s Shabbat. illus. by Kevin Hawkes. Candlewick. 2022. ISBN 9781536216547.
K-Gr 3–When Jewish farmer Simon sells his ox Shoshi, new owner Yohanan cannot understand why she refuses to plow on Saturdays. Eventually, he realizes that Simon celebrates Shabbat on Saturdays, and Shoshi comes to appreciate the joy of resting and enjoying nature and life each week. Hawkes’s acrylic illustrations depict a delightfully sweet-faced ox living in a beautiful, pastoral setting. Back matter includes information on the ancient Jewish midrash on which the story is based.

Amy Lilien-Harper is the head of children’s services, Wilton (CT) Library Association.