FICTION

Challah Day!

by Charlotte Offsay (text) & illus. by Jason Kirschner
Holiday House. Aug. 2023. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780823454112.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 3–A delightful picture book chronicling the love, unity, and joy braided into a family’s loaf of challah bread. From start to finish, challah is the focus of this story. Rhyming text propels it, keeping readers familiar and unfamiliar with this delicious, traditional Jewish bread engaged. The ingredients, steps for kneading, braiding, and a taste test at Shabbat dinner are all portrayed in whimsical, cartoony illustrations. One particularly adorable spread features a child set in miniature jumping from ingredient to ingredient like a challah fairy. Back matter includes information about the origins and role of challah in Jewish life, plus a recipe for readers to try at home. In a time when Jewish people are facing violence and antisemitism, this book is an oasis of Jewish joy.
VERDICT Not just for cultural collections, but for family shelves, children’s baking sections, and any collection that celebrates gatherings and love.
Reviewed by Maria Bohan , Aug 01, 2023

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