The Real Yuvi

Kar-Ben is proud to announce the release of new books for Spring 2011! One standout is Yuvi's Candy Tree by Lesley Simpson. We asked Lesley to shed some light on her inspiration for writing the book. Thanks Lesley!

Yuvi’s Candy Tree is a fictional story based on the true story of Yuvi Tashome.

In Ethiopia, Yuvi Tashome’s name was Yeuvmert which, in Amharic, means “a good or beautiful product.” Yuvi was given a Hebrew name when she moved to Israel. To recover her history, she reclaimed her name, but shortened it to Yuvi.

Tashome escaped from Ethiopia to a Sudanese refugee camp. She was later airlifted to Israel as part of Operation Moses, one of several secret rescue operations in the 1980s and 1990s.

Israel’s Law of Return says Jews have the right to return to Israel. The Ethiopian Jews viewed Israel as their home. But they risked their lives to return. Thousands died on the way. Their journey was dangerous because of murder, disease, poor health and prejudice.

I first met Tashome during Passover when Jews tell the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Tashome had come to Toronto as a guest of the New Israel Fund. The New Israel Fund was trying to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the Ethiopian Jews in Israel. She had just completed the American part of her speaking tour when the American economy collapsed. But she remained hopeful.

Tashome had created a program in Israel in the neighborhood where she lived to try to keep high-risk Ethiopian youth in school. The kids were facing prejudice as well as a difficulty adjusting from a rural economy into high tech culture. During that evening, she told how she escaped from Ethiopia on a donkey with her grandmother. I wanted to learn more. I later set up a private interview with her in Toronto. I had just hosted my first Seder. When Tashome told her story I felt as if the Haggadah was literally coming alive before my eyes. Here was a real woman, now a mother, pregnant with her next child, eating matzah for breakfast, who had survived against impossible odds, and was now working to make the world a better place for her community.

I wanted to honor her story, and celebrate her life.

Lesley Simpson is a Canadian journalist and picture book writer. Her previous books include The Shabbat Box and The Purim Surprise. Lesley has taught journalism and creative writing at Canadian universities. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

Based on a True Story

We were recently contacted by Gary Bart, the great-nephew of Zishe the Strongman. (Zishe’s real name was Ziegmund Breitbart; Gary’s father shortened the last name to Bart.) Gary lives in Los Angeles and collects stories and memorabilia about his great-uncle. He was kind enough to share this true story about the legendary Strongman. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Gary! For more about Zishe, check out our new book Zishe the Strongman!

My great-uncle Zishe actually lifted an elephant! This sensational story was published in many newspapers in NY in 1923. Zishe had a lot of imitators who tried to copy his great acts of strength. The most famous of these imitators was Eric Hanussen who had quite a unique idea. On a great stage, he would hypnotize a young woman and tell the audience that his hypnotism was so powerful that he could give this girl magical powers of strength to be even stronger than Zishe!

Here's what happened. There was a large cage with a baby elephant inside. Hanussen would hypnotize the girl and then she would climb a ladder to get on top of the cage and would strap herself to heavy ropes that went thru a large set of pulleys. With the starps on her shoulders she kneeled down and then slowly lifted herself up. As she did this the elephant would be lifted slighty off the ground. The crowd applauded with amazement.

Zishe was very suspicious, how can such a young girl lift an elephant? At her performance the following night, Zishe was in the front row with an engineer friend. Just as she was about to climb the elephant cage, the engineer ran up on stage and climbed the ladder and took the rope off of all the pulleys and shouted, “Let’s see if you can lift this elephant without the help of all these pulleys!” The girl became very nervous and tried and tried but of course she couldn’t even budge the elephant. The crowd became very angry and shouted “Fake, fake, fake.”

When Zishe walked onto the stage the audience grew silent to see the real strongman. Zishe spoke to the crowd, “If I honestly lift the elephant, will you be satisfied?” “YES” roared the crowd. Zishe opened the cage, and brought the elephant onto the stage. He took the heavy rope and asked for a ladder from backstage. Zishe tied the rope several times around the elephant and slowly climbed the ladder. Could Zishe really lift such a heavy animal all by himself? Standing on the ladder he pulled and pulled until his face turned blue and with every ounce of strength in him the elephant was lifted off the floor. The crowd went wild with enthusiasm, and many people ran onto the stage and carried Zishe off on their shoulders.

The Purpose of Picture Books

Despite last week’s prediction by the New York Times, the demise of the picture book is not yet upon us. At least not children’s picture books with Jewish themes! So many Jewish families continue to turn to picture books to learn about our religion, heritage and place in the world. A story like Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express will likely have pictures of a lulav and etrog; Rosh Hashanah stories like The Secret Shofar of Barcelona may feature a shofar. A Hanukkah story may feature a menorah or dreidel and show how families and groups use them in their celebrations. Without pictures, these stories would be accessible only to children and families who know what these items are and are already familiar with them. Picture books continue to open new worlds to both children and parents, especially those dealing with the rich diversity of the Jewish experience.

Illustrations can add subtlety to the story experience and can teach important lessons beyond the words of the tale. An illustration of a seder that just happens to includes two men with a child in a highchair between them, a main character who is portrayed wearing glasses and is still the most popular in the class (no mention of the glasses in the narrative), a synagogue scene with multi-cultural faces, or an illustration of a classroom that happens to include a child in a wheelchair are subtleties that might make an important statement or create a teachable moment. Without art, these subtleties would all be lost.

While chapter books are wonderful and have a purpose in a child's reading progress, sometimes it’s only through a picture book that a child can come to truly understand a story. Certainly some parents will continue to push their preschoolers to read chapter books in the race to succeed, but those parents are doing their children a disservice, depriving them of some rich cultural learning experiences.

Artwork from Abraham's Search for God, illustrated by Natascia Ugliano.

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!

A Family's Tashlich Ritual as Told in a Picture Book

Shanah Tovah from Kar-Ben! We sat down with Susan Schnur, the co-author of Tashlich at Turtle Rock, a new book for Rosh Hashanah. She wrote the book with her daughter, Anna Schnur-Fishman, based on their own family's Tashlich ritual. We hope you enjoy the book and are inspired to add a nature walk to your Rosh Hashanah celebration!

Where did you get the inspiration for Tashlich at Turtle Rock?
It comes straight from the spiritual Jewish stuff that my husband and I and our two kids do at home. In fact, the names of the two kids in the book are just the real names of my kids -- Lincoln and Anna.

What are you most excited about promoting in your new book?
The idea that you can do cool Jewish stuff outdoors with your own family!

What is the most interesting thing you learned in the process of writing your book?
That it's really fun to write with another human being. I liked writing with my daughter when she was in a good mood, but, for some reason, I also really enjoyed writing with her when she was cranky. I think because I understood that her crankiness had something to do with those moments in the creative process when you're sure that everything you're putting on paper is wrong. It was also cool to write with someone whose literary voice you often trust more than your own.

How do you hope your book will impact the Jewish life of a child?
If a family starts having the confidence to create Jewish rituals of their own at home, out-of-doors, that's very hopeful for Judaism.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?
The Harold and the Purple Crayon series.

What’s your favorite line from a book?
The last lines from Charlotte's Web: "Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both."

Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
For children's book authors, I love Daniel Pinkwater. For grownup book authors, I love Rilke. My fave children's book illustrator is N.C. Wyeth.

Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I've written since I was 6 years old. Though I went to seminary and then got a doctorate in psychology, in the heartiest part of my hearty-heart-heart, I have always been, and remain, a writer.

Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
To write children's literature, you should start by being a child.

Beautiful Blogger Award

Thank you, People of the Books, for nominating us for the Beautiful Blogger Award! We're honored to be recognized!

With the award come these responsibilities: we must share seven interesting facts about our company and nominate seven other blogs for the award. Here goes...

1. Kar-Ben Publishing is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2010! We were founded in 1975.

2. Kar-Ben's first book, My Very Own Haggadah, is still in print, with over 2,000,000 copies sold!

3. Kar-Ben has received more Sydney Taylor Book Awards than any other publishing company. Our 2009 Honor Award winners are Benjamin and the Silver Goblet and Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim.

3. Many Kar-Ben authors have hands-on experience in working with young readers. If you enjoy a book and want to enrich your children's or students' experience, you can invite the author to your next book event.

4. Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, is – surprise! -- not headquartered on the East Coast. We’re located in the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis. Yes, we have 40,000+ Jews in Minnesota!

5. In addition to children's books, we also publish Jewish calendars. They come in six formats and are used in offices, schools, and organizations all over North America. Schools and organizations can also customize the calendars for use as fundraisers and promotions.

6. The first Sammy Spider title, Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah, by Sylvia A. Rouss, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn, was published in 1993. That makes Sammy 17 years old! Post Bar Mitzvah, but still learning about Jewish life!

7. There is only well known Jewish holiday for which Kar-Ben has not (yet?) published a children’s book – Tisha B’Av. (If you've got a story idea or manuscript, here are our submission guidelines.)

Seven blogs we're nominating:
The Whole Megillah : A new blog about Jewish books for young readers
Ima on the Bima : An effervescent mom blogging about raising a family and being a rabbi
Homeshuling : A unique perspective about Jewish parenting, always entertaining and thought-provoking
Interfaith Family : Great resource for families, couples, and educators exploring Jewish life
Tami Lehman-Wilzig : About diverse customs and traditions in Jewish culture
The Book of Life : A podcast all about Jewish books!
Lerner Publishing Group : An inside look at the children's publishing world

Thanks again, People of the Books! It's wonderful to be recognized and tip our hat to fellow bloggers!

Israel's National Dog

Can you figure out what kind of dog this is? Why is it important in Israel?

Check out Zvuvi's blog to find out more!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.