Rising

Starred review from May 15, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* This lyrical book in free verse is traditional in the best way. It follows a young child (ungendered in both the text and illustrations) making challah with their mother. The challah dough is not the only thing that rises in the story: steam rises from hot drinks shared at a special moment. Late in the evening, the family looks forward to rising from sleep the next day. And although the text never says so explicitly, the illustrations also show the mother's pregnant belly rising. Against a garden background, she ""says everything grows / in its own time,"" and later, the final page will show the family in the kitchen with a new baby as the father and the older child prepare to bake. First, though, as the family gets closer to and eventually enters Shabbat on Friday night, complete with Hebrew blessings and a festive meal with guests, Ludwig repeats words and ideas connected to rest and coming together. Guy's beautiful illustrations mainly depict kitchen and garden scenes with an old-fashioned, restful quality that fits perfectly with the idea of rising gently, as well as with the book's other themes of Shabbat rest and renewal. A relaxing Shabbat read.

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March 15, 2024
A meditative look at Shabbat preparations. A pregnant mother--referred to as Ima--and a child, both with light skin and voluminous black hair, wake early to begin making challah dough before sitting down to enjoy Shabbat dinner with the rest of the family. Carefully laying out each step of the baking process, from mixing ingredients to braiding the loaves, the book evokes Shabbat itself, conveying the beauty of taking time to rest and appreciate loved ones. The text highlights minutiae of the characters' day--steam rising from morning tea, sun shining through the kitchen window, the slow expansion of the proofing dough--encouraging readers to notice the small details in their own lives. Though the figures' faces are too simple to carry much expression, the mixed-media illustrations depict a precisely curated home with a luxuriant garden, another subtle reminder of the importance of devoting time and attention to the things we love. Line breaks in the text suggest a slow, lyrical reading tempo, congruent with the ruminative content. After the close of Shabbat, the book gestures toward the future and implies the passing of time; as the book ends, a new day begins, with the family ready to make more challah and Ima holding the new baby. Intertwining the tactile rituals of baking with the religious and cultural heft of Shabbat, a contemplative paean to challah. (author's note, recipe for challah, Hebrew glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

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