"It's almost time for Rosh Hashanah, and Tzipporah is finally old enough to help! She excitedly puts on her coat and boots and races outside to help her family dig up the root vegetables they planted on their farm. Hoyt (Bartali's Bicycle) thoroughly, but concisely, tells the story of family and friends celebrating Rosh Hashanah, including their time at the synagogue and the blowing of the shofar. The illustrations' color, bucolic scenery irrefutably support the text and the happiness Tzipporah feels about celebrating the autumn holiday and being old enough to help make the dish of tzimmes. Her playful brown puppy is in almost all the illustrations, as are many chickens, cats, cows, and other farm animals. The illustrations also show the diversity of Tzipporah's community. The text is a bit confusing at the beginning of the story; when Tzipporah races outside to help her family dig up vegetables, the text says she "races down the rows," but the illustrations show her racing down the stairs. VERDICT A wonderful addition to any collection of multicultural children's literature." -- School Library Journal"It is almost Rosh Hashanah, and the harvest is ready. Tzipporahand her family pick rutabagas, yams, turnips, potatoes, and carrots. Then,she and her friends choose the most beautiful of the vegetables and scrubthem for the Rosh Hashanah meal. Tzipporah is unsure whether these raw vegetableswill make an enticing meal for the holiday, but she drizzles butter onthem and adds brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and fruit. A delicious tzimmes isthe result. After the synagogue service and the blowing of the shofar, thefamily gathers for their feast, and the tzimmes is beautiful andsweet — just like Rosh Hashanah itself. A tzimmes recipe is appended, along with an author’s notethat gives more information about Rosh Hashanah and makes a specialpoint of encouraging children to help prepare the family meal. The beautifulillustrations depict a farm that is bursting with autumn color and completewith a multicultural group of smiling family and friends. This isa lovely book to read aloud at the start of a fresh new year." --The Jewish Book Council"It's the first year that Tzipporah is old enough to help with the early fall harvest on her family's farm. Three days before the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, she rides on the tractor driven by her father, and they turn the soil. Tzipporah learns that the tractor has uncovered various root vegetables. Two days before Rosh Hashanah, our little main character helps gather the rutabagas, yams, turnips, potatoes, and carrots. She and her friends scrub off all the dirt. The day before Rosh Hashanah, Tzipporah and her folks ready the tzimmes, using an old family recipe. And on Rosh Hashanah they enjoy the tzimmes with friends and family after synagogue. A recipe and an author's note round out this sweet farm-to-table Rosh Hashanah story. The illustrations, which are bright and engaging, depict a light-skinned family with a darker-skinned friend. The tzimmes and brisket menu suggests an Ashkenazic family. The family drives to synagogue on the holiday, hence representing branches of Judaism whose members do so as well.The book is a good contender for the Sydney Taylor award. This authentic Jewish story is unique inconnecting tradition with family farming. Reading this book prior to Rosh Hashanah will give an opportunity to talk about where food comes from as well as ways to prepare for the holiday. Jewish and non-Jewish readers will learn about root vegetable farming, tzimmes, and basics about Rosh Hashanah." --The Sydney Taylor Schmooze
