Sammy Spider's First Shabbat (copy 1)

I liked this book for a few reasons. I really liked the illustrations in the book. They are colorful and have interesting textures in them. For example, spiders are a layered mix of yellows, greens, and mustard-browns. In addition, there are darker brown spots on his body and legs. I think this

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created a more interesting spider than if he was just mono-colored. Another aspect of the book I like is the incorporation of the Jewish cultures and traditions. The author discusses the tradition breading of challah bread, synagogue and appropriate synagogue attire. I really enjoyed how the author incorporated these aspects of culture. I think the author discusses aspects of the culture that the reader was able to relate to and make connections. In addition, I liked that the author used Hebrew words in her story. This added to the incorporation of the culture. In relation to this the final thing I liked about the book was the fact that it pushes the reader to think about cultures that may be different from their own. This book is a window book for the readers and can give them an opportunity to compare aspects of Jewish culture to their own. The reader can compare how their family honors their cultural celebrations. I think the big idea/message of this story was to inform the reader the very basic ideas and traditions of celebrating Shabbat.

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