Everybody Says Shalom

November 3, 2014
As she did with Paris in Everybody Bonjours!, Kimmelman takes readers on an upbeat tour of Israel, propelled by crisp, clever rhymes: “Everybody says shalom/ in a shuk... or catacomb./ Two by two, in the zoo./ Viewing tiny tiles of blue.” (A pink gecko, who readers can spot tucked away in Shipman’s cheery illustrations, explains that, because shalom can mean hello, goodbye, and peace, “It’s a little word with a lot to say.”) Sidestepping any intimation of conflict or controversy, the story speeds along, following a visiting family’s explorations of Israel’s historical structures, leisure activities, and holy sites, which are discussed in greater detail in an afterword. Ages 3–7. Illustrator’s agency: Lilla Rogers Studio.

October 15, 2014
This introduction to Israel is a book that can be read out of order.It's easy to spot the moment when this picture book turns into a rhyming dictionary. After several pages of rhyming verse, the syntax shifts, abruptly, from couplets ("Everybody says shalom / passing by a golden dome") to a staccato list of words ("Gazing. / Grazing. // Fishing. / Wishing"). There are two types of rhyming words in this book. Some readers will see coming: "Right to left / and left to right. // In the morning... // late at night." Other rhymes are so unpredictable they're nearly random: "Haying. // Praying." There's no plot to speak of, except that the characters take a trip to Israel and fly home afterward. The book doesn't quite work as a story or as poetry, but it does make a pretty good travel guide. The family visits more than a dozen sites in Israel (the highlights are listed in an appendix at the back), and the book makes them look very appealing. Shipman's Raschka-esque paintings have as many colors as a fruit bowl. Observant readers will also notice a pink gecko hiding on just about every page. The sites are well-chosen and terrifically multicultural. (They include a shuk and a Baha'i shrine.) Readers may like them even better if they ignore the fragmented rhymes on top of the pictures. (Picture book. 3-7)

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December 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-Following the author's Everybody Bonjours! (Random, 2008), this title presents a friendly look at Israel. A tourist family visits the famous sights, meeting smiling people of various ethnicities wherever they go. A note tells readers that "shalom is how people say hello. Shalom is also how people say goodbye. But its first and most important meaning is 'peace.' It's a little word with a lot to say!" The brief rhyming text is pleasant, if a bit vague in its descriptions of the sights; a note at the back provides additional information about the things seen in the pictures. The watercolor-style digital illustrations are detailed and invite slow examination (especially if readers wish to spot Gili the Gecko, who is hidden in the spreads). While both text and illustration are skillful, the combination of short, punchy rhymes spread over page turns and detailed, searchable illustrations make the book difficult to pace. Ultimately, it will need to be read quickly for the rhymes and returned to for a slower reading to examine the illustrations. The whirlwind tour is the most common type of children's book about Israel. This book does not break new ground but is a solid addition to the category. While there is no story line, this title makes for pleasant armchair travel. Jewish educators, in particular, will happily welcome this book to their shelves.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Preschool-G This title's endpapers show a family flying to Israel to visit. And once there, everybody says shalom, which a helpful gecko tells readers means hello, good-bye, and peace. Kimmelman's bouncy rhyme has people saying shalom right to left / and left to right as children write the words in both Hebrew and English in the sand or on a dune / eating yogurt with a spoon. Along with the sprightly text, each of Shipman's charming and child-friendly watercolors, which show Israel's diverse population, highlights some aspect of Israeli life: visiting open-air markets and historical sites, or taking advantage of the natural terrain by riding a camel in the desert or floating in the Mediterranean Sea. A helpful picture key at the book's conclusion introduces the sites featured in the book, including Masada, the Baha'i Shrine, the Dead Sea, and the Western Wall. A simple yet smart introduction to Israel for the youngest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)