Inside Name

Randi Sonenshine is a children’s author, literacy specialist, and instructional coach. Her picture books include The Nest That Wren Built, The Lodge That Beaver Built, and the forthcoming The Den That Octopus Built, all from Candlewick Press. The Inside Name is her first chapter book. Randi lives with her husband, two sons, and a sock-eating poodle in Cartersville, Georgia.  Gina Capaldi has both written and illustrated books and products for trade, historical non fiction, educational, and the toy industries. She often combines traditional painting techniques and mediums with collage and digital elements to add additional layer of visual story telling. Gina studied fine arts at Pepperdine University and Pitzer College; and, illustration at Art Center: College of Design. She is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Publishers, and Delta Kappa Gamma International Society of Women Educators. She lives in Orange, California.

A child navigates his Lisbon neighborhood as a converso, aJew compelled to practice Catholicism in Spain and Portugal during theInquisition. The boy takes readers through his city and ponders thereligious intolerance that has turned neighbors against him and forced hisfamily to keep their Jewish observance a secret. Though the author acknowledgesthe threat of violence and imprisonment for forced converts, she leans towardoptimism, depicting a loving, intact family who seek a way out. Interspersedwith moments of dread and sadness, the narrative highlights details aboutsecret religious practice, such as hiding a mezuzah under the tiles of thedoorframe, lighting Shabbat candles inside a jar on the hearth, and using an"inside name," a Hebrew name employed only in the privacy of the home. Thisshort chapter book features illustrations on every spread as well as occasionaltext boxes that offer definitions and historical context, though the vocabularywill be a stretch for many younger readers. Saturated colors for the clothesand buildings imply the visual richness of the city, but the soft lines of thewatercolor-like illustrations provide limited expression in the human faces. Ahistorical note presents more details about conversos and discusses DoñaGracia, who used her wealth to rescue Jewish people trapped by the Inquisition.A gentle exploration of a cruel episode in European history.(Chapter book. 6-9) --Kirkus ReviewsThe target audience for Randi Sonenshine's lovely new book The Inside Name is young middle graders, but this 44 page hardcover reads more like a sophisticated picture book. The first person narrative tells the story of a young boy in 15th century Lisbon named Felipe Alonso. At least, that is his outside name. He and his family are conversos, Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition. The family practices Judaism in secret, so their Jewish names, their inside names, are never spoken outside of their home. On his way to and from an errand for his mother, Felipe is called horrible names by the city's knife grinder and is chased by boys intent on terrorizing him. Sonenshine shows what can become of Jews in Portugal at this time as Felipe recalls his friendship with Solomon, whose family is imprisoned in a monastery For the journey, Felipe brings a cutting from his grandfather's lemon tree, so he can plant some seeds at his new home in Antwerp. The voice here is strong; the reader will really feel that the story is being told by a boy who must live every day with secrets and in fear for his safety. The text is almost poetic in its spare form and its beautiful imagery, and the watercolor illustrations are an excellent complement to the text.This is not a story that Jewish children are exposed to often; it's certainly not a story that non-Jewish children would know. The scarcity of such Inquisition books in mainstream children's literature supports the theory that Jewish histories outside of Holocaust narratives are often ignored. The Inside Name should be considered for a Sydney Taylor Honor or Notable designation.Early chapter books with Jewish themes are hard to find. This excellent historical fiction book about secret Jews in Portugal during Inquisition times is an appealing, well-told story for children who enjoy reading about history and far-away places. Young Felipe Alonso has both an "inside" and "outside" name. Felipe is the name he uses to navigate the world of anti-Jewish Lisbon in the early 16th century, while he and his family long to live freely in a more tolerant country. His mother tries not to use his outside name in general, and just whistles for him instead. His inside name is kept secret from the reader until their escape to Belgium, which is assisted by "La Senora" (aka the famous philanthropist, Dona Gracia Nasi).The author provides a real sense of place, of family, of the dangers of life as a Converso, and surprises regarding who is willing to help. The new vocabulary words kids won’t know (like caravel, Inquisition, and Converso) are starred and footnoted at the bottom of the page. The bright, watercolor illustrations are a standout for an early chapter book and simply stunning in how they beautifully convey the historical era and the emotional heft of the narrative. Clearly the illustrator did intense research to accurately depict the clothing, architecture, and Iberian-Sephardic color palette of the 1500s. The pages depicting a map of the family’s escape should delight map-loving kids while also providing very good historical information. The historical note at the end of the book provides even more. In six, short, readable chapters, this exciting story is a notable success and will fill a much-needed gap in the Jewish historical fiction section of the library.--Association of Jewish Libraries