Kayla and Kugel's Silly Sukkot

Ann D. Koffsky has written and/or illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Kayla and Kugel, Kayla and Kugel’s Almost-Perfect Passover, Kayla and Kugel's Happy Hanukkah, What's In Tuli's Box? and Under-the-Sea Seder. She lives in West Hempstead, New York.

In this new pic­ture book, Kay­la and her live­ly pup Kugel return for anoth­er delight­ful romp filled with hol­i­day spir­it. This time, the two young charm­ers are prepar­ing for Sukkot: they build a sukkah, set the table, make dec­o­ra­tions, and wel­come guests. As the hol­i­day arrange­ments come togeth­er, Kay­la and Kugel share many impor­tant details, all of which are impor­tant to know when build­ing a sukkah. They present the his­to­ry of Sukkot in acces­si­ble, easy-to-under­stand lan­guage and instill in the read­er a sense of hol­i­day excite­ment and fun.In an author’s note, Koff­sky presents some top­ics to think about and dis­cuss dur­ing the hol­i­day cel­e­bra­tions and sug­gests ways to enhance the experience.The art is, as always, a delight. Through cap­ti­vat­ing col­ors, Kay­la, Kugel, and their fam­i­ly come to life. This is a won­der­ful book about a hol­i­day that is filled to the brim with joy. --Jewish Book CouncilKayla and her parents are preparing for the holiday of Sukkot. Mom and Dad are building the sukkah, and Kayla, joined by her playful pup Kugel, join in the action, gathering items for the roof and making decorations.Woven in between the sukkah-building and Kugel’s silly antics are important mini-lessons about Sukkot, told with love and humor. For example, when Kugel offers a baseball bat he dug out from behind a bush for the sukkah roof, Kayla teaches him with gentleness that we only use things that grow. The affectionate tone grows along with the story, as when Kayla tells Kugel about her ancestors building and living in huts, and that we build a sukkah to remind us to be grateful for our homes. Kayla is a compassionate main character who models patience and compassion.Koffsky’s centering of the story on Kayla and Kugel highlights the message that everyone, including a young girl and a little dog, can play an important role in Jewish traditions. Employing sparse and precise language, coupled with active and playful illustrations, Sukkot comes alive on the page. The reader will feel as if they have been invited into Kayla and Kugel’s sukkah. Kayla and Kugel’s Silly Sukkot is perfect for young readers who will fall in love with Kugel, a pup who jumps off the page and into our hearts. The book will appeal to Jewish, Interfaith, and non-Jewish readers. Illustration Editor Dena Bach adds: The loose line quality gives energy to the illustrations that bring in Judaic images where possible - a mezuzah on the house door, a drawing of a lulav and etrog on the sukkah decorations, challah on the dinner table - making the home feel specifically like a Jewish home. The sukkah guests add a note of ethnic diversity. --The Sydney Taylor ShmoozeA cheery child, Kayla, and her exuberant dog, Kugel, construct a backyard sukkah for the family’s celebration of Sukkot in the fourth of this upbeat and culturally informative picture-book series. Kugel "helps" pigtailed Kayla collect the necessary items, including "fancy shmancy paper plates" and sticks, because a "sukkah’s roof needs to be made from things that grow." Kugel listens attentively to Kayla’s telling of the historical origin story of Sukkot, a weeklong Jewish holiday celebrating the fall harvest. Bold colors and lively images pair well with the playful font, and the minimal text is mostly Kayla cheerfully redirecting Kugel’s efforts in service of the preparations. It will help readers to have existing knowledge of the celebration, as the festival isn’t really explained until an author’s note. That note also includes questions and additional context and functions as a helpful teaching guide for families or educators. Pair with other Sukkot stories or those introducing holiday preparations in various cultures, such as Hena Khan’s Night of the Moon (2008) and Raakhee Mirchandani’s My Diwali Light (2022). --Kit Ballenger, BooklistFourth in the Kayla and Kugel holiday series, Kayla helps her family build and decorate their sukkah in the backyard. Kayla enthusiastically helps with the decorating and simple sentences describe what is occurring on each page. Kugel, her dog, often interferes and Kayla patiently explains to Kugel each part of the preparations of getting a sukkah ready for Sukkot. Koffsky provides the background story of Sukkot and uses two pages to provide a side-by-side comparison of an illustration of an ancient hut in the desert with Kayla’s family sukkah. As in the previous Kayla and Kugel books, brightly colored illustrations help highlight the lively and lovely puppy that Kugel is. Koffsky also provides an endnote with more details about Sukkot and provides questions and suggestions for how to make Sukkot more enjoyable and meaningful to families. This title is recommended.--Association of Jewish Libraries