Bubbe's Belated Bat Mitzvah

K-Gr 3—When Naomi's great-grandmother talks about her brother's Bar Mitzvah and reveals that she never became a Bat Mitzvah herself, Naomi suggests she do so at the age of 95. Reflecting on the changing role of women over the generations helps convince Bubbe, and her great-grandchildren pitch in to help her get ready. She does them all proud on the big day and pledges to help Naomi prepare for her own Bat Mitzvah. This may be the only picture book in existence to address the topic of adult B'nai Mitzvah and certainly the only one that encompasses the social history of the ritual. It is unique in this way but universal in its portrayal of the excitement, nervousness, and hard work that goes into preparing for this rite of passage. It is noteworthy that Bubbe models the joy of the ritual itself rather than that of an accompanying party that, in modern life, sometimes overshadows the ceremony. The book does not include any explanatory notes on B'nai Mitzvah, making it best suited to audiences already familiar with it. The straightforward, clean, and simple text portrays a warm and loving family and community. The folksy acrylic illustrations are friendly, rounded, and colorful. The pictures include a female cantor who wears a kippah and tallit and other women wearing kippot (traditionally male religious garb). This book fills a gap we didn't even know we had in a positive way.—Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL