Celebrate Simchat Torah!

October 1st is Simchat Torah! This is the day when we celebrate the end and beginning in the cycle of our Torah readings. Why not make a new tradition in your home or classroom by reading your favorite book from start to finish? Try the new Sammy Spider's First Simchat Torah!


In Sammy's latest adventure, he crawls down his web to inspect the candy apple Josh has attached to his Simchat Torah flag. When Josh leaves for synagogue, he doesn’t notice the spider stuck to his apple! Atop Josh’s flag, Sammy joins the Simchat Torah parade, dances with the Torah, and learns about this very special holiday in the Jewish year.

Here's how to make candy apples for Simchat Torah!
10 small red apples
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup water
8 drops red food coloring
10 small wooden dowls or popsicle sticks
1 sheet wax paper

Make sure an adult helps with the recipe! Boiling sugar is very hot.

Wash and dry apples. Insert sticks or dowels at stem or base. Mix sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add food coloring. Boil for 20 mins. Do not stir. Remove pan from stove and dip apples into mixture one at a time. Place on wax paper to cool. Enjoy at your Simchat Torah parade!

Happy New Year 5770

To all our authors and illustrators, customers and friends around the world, best wishes for a sweet, happy, healthy and peaceful new year. In Minnesota the leaves have begun to turn. When we build our sukkah in two weeks, it will have cornstalks on the roof. We buy our cornstalks from a local farmer who comes to the farmer's market every year with his load of cornstalks, gourds and other sukkah-friendly material. The trouble was that he could never quite figure out why when he shlepped a few cornstalks one week he would have customers wanting to by dozens, so he'd then bring dozens the next week and nobody would want any.

The year he mentioned this to me, I explained to him that there was indeed a method to the madness, and I gave him a little Kar-Ben Mini Jewish Calendar and circled the following year's pre-Sukkot weekend so he'd know exactly which weekend the Jews would be wanting their cornstalks -- that weekend and no other. I also invited him to our sukkah party so he could see what-the-heck (his words) we were using all those cornstalks for.

And so a friendship was born. He comes to our sukkah party every year bringing gifts of honey or eggs or broomcorn from his farm, and we provide him with a mini calendar every year so he knows when Sukkot is. So now my plug for Kar-Ben calendars -- buy them and give them to your non-Jewish neighbors, teachers and others. They're great, they promote cultural understanding, and you may make a new friend.

Shanah tovah!

Back to School!

I'm sure I'm not the only adult who misses going back to school. On my way to work, I pass busses full of chatty kids on their way to school; I'm tempted to add new pencils and folders to my cart at Target; and my teacher friends are saying goodbye to summer and gearing up for a new year.

Luckily, things are cyclical for me here at Kar-Ben. As the seasons change, I have new books to promote and with Rosh Hashanah less than two weeks away, a whole new year of holidays begin.

So, what's new at Kar-Ben? I'm so glad you asked!

For those heading back to school, check out the latest Sammy Spider adventure, Sammy Spider's First Day of School, which marks many firsts for Sammy. It's his first time in a classroom and the first time he's acknowledged by Josh Shapiro, the little boy he's been living near all these years. This book also teaches youngsters about the importance of kindness to animals (an important lesson even for those out of school!)

I've heard that some schools start as early as 7:15 (which I imagine isn't easy for a lot of parents and kids). If your family has trouble getting up and motivated in the morning, I recommend Rabbi Joe Black's new book Boker Tov! Good Morning! It's based on his original song about starting the day off right. It's full of energy and great to play when you're getting ready or in the car to school or day care.

I'm also excited about our word books for kids and grown-ups. My First Hebrew Word Book and the new My First Yiddish Word Book each include over 150 words with English translations and transliterations. You're never too old to learn a new language! Here's a preview of My First Yiddish Word Book to get you started: