Lights Out Shabbat

K-Gr 2—A rare snowstorm in Georgia knocks out the electricity one Friday night just as Shabbat begins. A boy spends the visit with his grandparents playing in the snow and enjoying their time together. Just after Havdalah (the end of the Jewish Sabbath), the power is restored. "'It looks like Shabbat is over for the electricity, too,' says the boy, 'I guess even the lights needed a Shabbat rest!'" This is a quietly pleasant story, offering a cozy portrayal of intergenerational bonding and traditions being passed along. There seems to be some attempt to build tension by the repetition of the line, "But the lights did not come on," but the relaxed nature of the tale prevails. There is no big adventure or lesson to be had here, just a slice of contemporary Jewish life, notable for its location, a setting rarely seen in Jewish children's lit. The casual, slightly gawky paintings reinforce the family's ordinariness, and the lemon-lime cast that dominates the art adds a sort of Southern juiciness. A solid purchase for Judaica collections, and an additional purchase elsewhere.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL