Katherine Janus Kahn – illustratör

"What''s a recipe?" Sammy Spider asks his mother as he watches Mrs. Shapiro make blintzes for Shavuot. As Sammy follows the holiday preparations, young readers will learn how the Torah, which was given on Shavuot, is also a "recipe for life."

Called on to watch over King Solomon''s daughter, the Ziz takes Magda on a joyful trip around the world. But when she falls in love with a handsome young man, the Ziz''s jealousy gets the giant bird into trouble.

The Ziz, the giant bird from Jewish folklore, learns about the concept of sharing by helping the Maccabees find oil to light the menorah in the Temple, bringing about the miracle of Hanukkah.

Loosely based on the Hasidic legend "The Tear of Repentance", The Hardest Word is a story about forgiveness. The Ziz, a wonderful bird who lived long ago, is so big and clumsy that he can''t keep from bumping into things. When a tree he knocks over destroys the children''s garden, he seeks God''s help to fix things. "Bring me the hardest word," God instructs him, and the Ziz flies off to search. He brings back words like rhinocerous, rock, and Rumplestiltskin, but none is acceptable, until he makes an important discovery.Praise for The Hardest Word: A Yom Kippur Story“This delightful take, featuring a loveable, klutzy bird teaching the essentiallessons of the High Holidays, is just perfect! . . . This book is a must!”—San Diego Jewish Times“The very complicated lessons of atonement and forgiveness on Yom Kippurare introduced to children in a warm and humorous story.”—Washington Jewish WeekA NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARDS FINALISTAN ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOK

Sammy Spider yearns to celebrate Shabbat. He watches Josh set the festive table, and is especially fascinated when Mrs. Shapiro braids the challah. As the family gather''s to welcome Shabbat, Sammy discovers that something unexpected has happened.

Sammy Spider thinks he’s picked the perfect day to hitch a ride to Josh’s preschool. The class is learning about kindness to animals! But what happens when the little spider is discovered in Josh’s backpack? Every child will identify with this peek into a busy preschool classroom.

Sammy Spider 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. Young readers will learn how Simchat Torah is celebrated, as Jews finish reading their “favorite book” the Torah, and start all over again, just as Josh loves to do with his own books! A wonderful new addition to the Sammy Spider series from the team of Sylvia A. Rouss and Katherine Janus Kahn.

Sammy leads young children through the steps of the Passover seder, telling the story of the Exodus, asking and answering the Four Questions, and sampling the traditional foods. Includes creative readings and songs, as well as colorful paper collage art by Katherine Janus Kahn.

Features commentary and discussion questions for preteens through adult, and a full birkat hamazon (blessing after the meal).

Simple poetry brings to life the structure and the central concepts of the Shabbat service.

Aaron is invited to a baseball game during Passover, and his mom sends him with a bag lunch of matzah and tuna. Aaron is embarrassed until his friends go off for snacks and something wonderful happens.

Celebrate Tu B’Shevat with everyone’s favorite spider!Spring is in the air and Sammy Spider watches as Josh Shapiro lowers the roots of a small tree into the ground. As spring turns to summer and summer to fall, Sammy watches Josh nurture the small tree as it sprouts tiny buds, then full blossoms, then colorful autumn leaves. Birds and squirrels come to visit the tree, and as autumn turns to winter, the leaves drop and the birds leave. Sammy worries as the tree shivers in the cold winter air. And then, as he practices weaving a new web, he gets an idea...When Tu B''Shevat arrives, Sammy spins a special birthday gift for his favorite tree.Praise for Sammy Spider’s First Tu B’Shevat: “Kudos are due Kar-Ben...for publishing a book on the subject of Tu B’Shevat since that holiday has virtually no picture book literature available for young children. Sammy...remainsa perennial favorite.” —AJL Newsletter

Join Sammy Spider on his stow-away adventure as he tours Israel and learns the many meanings of "shalom."

Sammy Spider wants to help Josh get ready for Purim. Instead, he gets stuck inside a grogger. How will he escape?

When Sammy Spider''s web gets swept away during the Shapiro family''sPassover cleaning, his mother decides spring is a perfect time to make a newweb. As Sammy learns to spin, he gets involved in the Passover seder and plays an important role in the success of the holiday meal.“An adorable story with vibrant cut-out illustrations and a surprise ending. The whole family will enjoy this charming story. . . . ” —Parent Council

Sammy Spider watches longingly as Josh Shapiro lights another candle and receives another brightly-colored dreidel each night of Hanukkah.

Sammy Spider wants to taste the golden honey the Shapiros set out for a sweet New Year. Mom tells him to stick to spinning webs, but will curious Sammy listen?

When an Israeli family moves in next door to the Shapiros, Sammy Spider and Josh learn about the Jewish mitzvah of welcoming guests. In the process, they each make a new friend and learn some Hebrew words.

With just the right blend of text and commentary, the popular A Family Haggadah, with new full-color art, is the haggadah of choice for families with young children to use at their Passover seders. Hebrew prayers and songs include English translations and transliterations.

When Josh breaks the rules and plays ball indoors, he finds himself apologizing not only to his parents, but to Sammy Spider as well. A Yom Kippur story about saying, “I’m sorry.”

Curious about the Jewish holidays? Very young readers learn about holiday customs with everyone’s favorite inquisitive spider!Covering Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu B''Shevat, Purim, Passover, Yom Ha''Atzma''ut, and Shavuot, this colorful board book highlights a key feature of each holiday. On Yom Kippur we say we''re sorry. On Hanukkah we light the candles. We eat special foods at the Passover seder. In celebration of Sammy Spider’s 20th anniversary, Kar-Ben introduces the first Sammy Spider board book, a book of Jewish holidays for very young children with one simple holiday fact per page, illustrated with iconic Sammy Spider art.

Sammy Spider is back in his fifteenth adventure story, learning about Jewish holidays and values with his buddy Josh Shapiro. In this story, when Josh gets a cold―“Achoo!”―his friend Moti delivers some chicken soup to him, and Sammy Spider learns about the mitzvah of visiting the sick. You’ll also learn the Hebrew word for “Gesundheit!”