Mythical Ziz Comes to Life

 
Are you a fan of Jacqueline Jules' Ziz books? The mythical Ziz comes to life in a new play premiering in early 2013:

Quest of the ZIZ Bird
January 26 & 27, February 2 & 3

A NEW PLAY! Written by Pumpkin Theatre Producing Artistic Director, Jimi Kinstle with music by Ryan Michael Haase and based on the children’s book The Hardest Word, by Jacqueline Jules, The ZIZ is a giant mythological bird (ours will be a puppet!) that one day accidently destroys the community garden of the children. A misfit himself, how will the Ziz make things better and find a way to ‘fit in’?
Learn more about the Pumpkin Theatre.

Browse the Ziz series of books!

4 Kids' Hanukkah Gifts Under $10

4. 8 Books for 8 Bucks for 8 Nights of Hanukkah
Give a book each night or give one to eight of your favorite young readers!

For $8, get an assortment of Kar-Ben's award winning books to enjoy each night during Hanukkah.  The set includes one paperback copy of each of these Hanukkah books:
Ziz and Hanukkah Miracle
Hanukkah Around the World
Harvest of Light
Jodie's Hanukkah Dig
Lots of Latkes
Menorah Under the Sea
Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles
It’s Hanukkah Time

Note: This deal no longer available.  

3. Sammy Spider Plush Toy
At $9.95, this is a great gift for any fan of Sammy Spider to bring imagination to life and create his or her own Sammy adventures! An adorable stuffed Sammy Spider toy with a pouch on his tummy so he can be used as a puppet! Colorful velveteen fabric, bean-bag type stuffing, jointed legs, 5-inch diameter body. U.S. safety-inspected.

2. Thank You, God!: A Child's Book of Prayers

A first prayer book for young children, with 21 traditional prayers in simple Hebrew, transliteration, and English. Contains blessings for a new day, bounty of our food, Sabbath, and holiday rituals. A beautiful book to inspire a lifetime of love for Judaism. $7.95

1. Alef-Bet Yoga

Give the gift of movement, language and fun! Learn the Hebrew alphabet through yoga! Using traditional and modified yoga poses, kids can create the letters and also benefit from the stretching and strengthening offered by each pose. $7.95

Hanukkah Gift Ideas

As a former teacher, aunt and gift giver, I think presents for children should do more than entertain. I like gifting something educational—often books—along with something that provides an experience that has the potential to inspire a lifelong interest.

Here are some ideas for giving this Hanukkah:

The Shabbat Princess
Rosie likes queens, but she really loves princesses! One Shabbat eve, she persuades her parents to invite the Shabbat Princess to their home. As the family prepares for their royal visitor, they are reminded that adding beauty to a mitzvah only increases its worth.

Give the book along with some cheerful, kid-friendly Shabbat candlesticks or crafting supplies to make candlesticks and inspire a life-long awareness of hiddur mitzvah!


Jodie’s Hanukkah Dig
When Jodie begs her dad to take her on an archaeological dig, he agrees to take her to Modi’in, the ancient home of the Maccabees. And when she volunteers to explore an underground cave, she learns that she and the Maccabees, the heroes of the Hanukkah story, have something in common.

Develop a sense of curiosity and adventure with the gift of a children’s metal detector along with a copy of the book, and if you can, spend time together treasure hunting in the backyard.

Harvest of Light

The olive harvest in Israel is a special time. See how the tiny spring flowers blossom into green fruit, then ripen into shiny black olives. Watch the olives as they’re gathered, sorted, and pressed into oil. Then celebrate Hanukkah with an Israeli family, as they use the oil to light their Hanukkah menorah. Come and enjoy the harvest of light.

A fun gift for a family, share this book and a few special bottles of olive oil, and maybe a beautiful loaf of bread for dipping. Inspire Ahavat Yisrael with this book from Kar-Ben’s Nature in Israel series.

Browse all of Kar-Ben's books.

Recipe: Make Your Own Chocolate Hanukkah Gelt

Make your own gelt this year for Hanukkah with this kid-friendly recipe from the new cookbook Maccabee Meals. With eight different menus for creative Hanukkah parties, order your copy in time for Hanukkah.

 

Treats for Hanukkah with Maccabee Meals

It is already November, and Hanukkah is just around the corner. The first candle is on December 8 this year (next year Hanukkah begins on Thanksgiving!). People are already in Hanukkah event and party planning mode, if the number of repins on our Pinterest are any indication! 

Looking for new ideas this year? Check out Kar-Ben’s cookbook Maccabee Meals, which features over 30 recipes and many explanations that are sure to add a kick to your celebrations. Learn how to make all sorts of latkes, cookies, salads, and sides. Try this recipe from Maccabee Meals for your next Hanukkah Celebration! This is a great project for kids!


Alef-Bet Pretzels
Ingredients
1 pkg. dry yeast
1 c. warm water
3 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
Kosher salt
Margarine or oil spray

1. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
2. Add flour, sugar, and salt and work into a dough.
3. Cover with a towel and let rise 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
5. Grease cookie sheet.
6. Divide dough into pieces the size of a golf ball. Dust hands with flour. Roll dough into sausages and shape into the letters on the dreidel.
7. Place on cookie sheet, brush with egg mixture, and sprinkle with salt.
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until brown.


Enjoy Maccabee Meals during the festival of lights and B’Tayavon (Bon appetite)!

Win a copy by posting your favorite Hanukkah treat in the comments here or at our Facebook page. A winner will be selected at random.

Q&A with "Jumping Jenny" Author Ellen Bari

Get to know Ellen Bari, author of the recent Kar-Ben book Jumping Jenny, a playful and pointed story about the ways in which individualism can lead to global change.

In addition to penning books for Kar-Ben, Bari has worked with PBS, Sesame Workshop, and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to create award-winning multimedia programs and exhibitions. She is also the co-founder of Momasphere, a New York based organization dedicated to creating original programs and events for moms. A former student of miming and clowning in London, Ellen has plenty of stories to share! To learn more about her projects and features, visit www.ellenbari.com/.

Kar-Ben: What was your favorite book when you were a child?  EB: Pippi Longstocking

 

Kar-Ben: What’s your favorite line from a book?
EB: From George & Martha Encore : “The next day Martha had a terrible sunburn. She felt hot and itchy. But George never said 'I told you so.’ Because that’s not what friends are for. “

Kar-Ben: Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
EB: Patricia Polacco, James Marshal,  Roz Chast, Jon Scieszka

Kar-Ben: Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
EB: Children’s books are magic. In 32 pages, an entire universe is created…and they’re often enjoyed while sharing with someone. After years of producing interactive multimedia, with its large production teams, complicated process and individual use,  I wanted to create something for kids, that was simple to produce (relatively) and savored in that very special way. 

Kar-Ben: Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
EB: Just write (0r draw). Don’t edit along the way- not your thoughts, your grammar, your punctuation or your words. Don’t worry about how it will turn out. Just enjoy the process.

Kar-Ben: Where did you get the inspiration for your latest Kar-Ben book?
EB: The inspiration for Jumping Jenny came from a number of places. First of all, I never met a kid who didn’t like to jump and I myself was a jumper--in fact I could go up and down stairs on my pogo stick and once jumped a historic 1,000 jumps.  It was a big deal in my neighborhood and there are a few people from the ‘old neighborhood’ who still consider that my greatest accomplishment to date! The inspiration for the charity project came from my daughter’s wonderful Jewish day school which raises money for its sister school in Uganda. Overall, I wanted the message to be loud and clear: follow your passions- they will lead to something good.

Kar-Ben: How do you hope your book will impact the Jewish life of a child?
EB: Everyone, no matter how young or old, can do small acts that can make the world a better place- tikkun olam.  If you start young, it will become part of who you are for the rest of your life. 

-Max Edwards

 

Abracadabra! A Magical Jewish Connection

In Kar-Ben’s The Mitzvah Magician by Linda Elovitz Marshall, Gabriel the Great learns the power of mitzvoth through magic. While there might only be one Mitzvah Magician, many Jewish magicians have been part of the world of magic for quite some time.

Perhaps the most famous magician of all time, Harry Houdini, was born in Budapest as Erik Weisz, the son of Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz and Cecelia Weisz. When Harry was four, his family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin where his father led a Zion Reform Jewish Congregation in worship for nine years. Harry and his family then moved to New York City, where Harry began to cultivate and develop his skills as a magician. As a noted escape artist, Harry was world renown for his ability to escape any sort of obstacle or restraint. He died in 1926 and is buried in Machpelah Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Queens, New York.

If we then fast forward 30 years, almost to the exact day, illusionist David Seth Kotkin was born. Arguably, the most famous magician in the world, you might know him by his stage name, David Copperfield. Copperfield was born in Metuchen, New Jersey to Jewish parents Hyman and Rebecca Kotkin. Copperfield is known for his way of combining storytelling with illusion, earning him an astounding 21 Emmy awards!

What’s more? The famous adage “abracadabra” is of Jewish origin! The saying comes from Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Jews during the Second Temple Period (539 BCE - 70CE) and the main language in the Talmud. Similar to Hebrew, the word abra (אברא) in Aramaic means “I have created,” and the word cadabra (כדברא) means “by my speech.” Hence its use by magicians is meant to showcase their ability to create simply through their words.

-Max Edwards