Around the World in One Shabbat: Jewish People Celebrate the Sabbath Together

My daughters love this book, age 6 and 3. It is beautifully written and illustrated. We will definitely recommend it to all Sabbath followers who loves the Torah of Elohim.

Didn't hold myclasses interest.

The subtitle of this picture book is "Jewish People Celebrate the Sabbath Together", and that is both its gist and its strength. Page by page the reader experiences the weekly Shabbat rituals that remain constant and comprehensible around the globe, from Friday morning shopping through to Havdalah on Saturday evening. Each segment of the day takes place in a different location, with a total of 13 countries represented on six continents. Shabbat delicacies are purchased in Jerusalem's Machane Yehudah marketplace, challah is braided in Buenos Aires, candles are lit in Istanbul, a family attends synagogue in France, etc. However, it is important to mention that aside from the name of the locale and a few culinary references, most of the places visited in this book are textually indistinguishable from one another. In fact the text is both engaging and rather generic, focusing on what Jews share in their observance of the Sabbath while neglecting to highlight ways in which local culture influences the celebration. Pictorially the book is moderately more successful. Warmly hued gouache illustrations are pleasant and appealing, nicely portraying loving families eating together, praying together, and resting together. Yet once again several countries seem interchangeable, with visual representations that lack recognizable cues which might differentiate one country from another. (A map of the locations would have added interest to the narrative.) Thus one is left to wonder if the purpose of this book is to present a multinational, multicultural look at the celebration of Shabbat, or to demonstrate that no matter where Jews live, celebrating Shabbat is always the same. Whatever the intent, this book presents the Sabbath in a loving light, and that it does very well. For ages 5 - 9.Teri Markson

Burnhard's charming book takes its' readers on a voyage, peeking into Jewish homes around the world. Readers will get to experience the diverse Shabbat traditions of each culture, and yet still recognize the Shabbat they are familiar with from their own lives. It's a wonderful way to show the multicultural rainbow that all falls under Judaisms' giant umbrella.The Good Stuff-The MoodBurnhard is a very talented author and artist. Her beautiful pictures and matching words create a flowing narrative that captures the calm and serenity of Shabbat. Even the type is set to flow lyrically over the page.-The DetailsThe portrayal of Shabbat focuses on the unique culture of each country. For example, in Ethiopia Avraham is happy he doesn't have to gather firewood on Shabbat; In Thailand the father takes his Shabbat snooze on a hammock.-The IllustrationsThe clever images have amazing patterns and details to discover, like how the Kiddush cup used in Jerusalem has an image of Jerusalem carved into it, or how a challah cover incorporates images of characters and scenes from all over the book into it's design.Not So Good StuffThe LengthThe text is very long. Sitting and reading it to a young child that you are trying to get to sleep might be slightly torturous.(FYI: The books shows both traditional and contemporary synagogues, and includes images of a female Rabbi and mixed seating at a Temple.)This is a wonderful book that conveys the warmth and specialness of Shabbat, with every page overflowing with beauty and detail. Each time it is read their will be new gems to find.Rating : 4 of 5by Ann KoffskyAuthor of  Noah's Swim-a-Thon

This 33 page book, half of which are full-color delightful pictures, is designed for children aged 3-6. It shows how the Jewish Sabbath is observed by children and their parents in different countries and cultures. It starts in Jerusalem, Israel, on Friday morning, when Avi, his sister Rachel, and grandma, Savta, shop to enhance the Shabbat at the famous Machane Yehuda Market for special foods for Shabbat. The story switches to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Alicia wakes from her nap and joins her sister and friends in making the Shabbat challah, put money in the tzedakah charity box for the poor, and help clean the house for the special guest, the Sabbath bride. Then, on the next page, in Melbourne, Australia, Aaron participates in preparing the meal and gives a neighbor a package of homemade cookies as a special gift for the Sabbath. Then, in Istanbul, Turkey, Leyla watches her parents perform acts they don't do the rest of the week. The story continues in St. Petersburg, Russia, the south of France, New England, and then Ethiopia where Avraham looks out at the land that stretches away north, toward Israel, where his brother and sister are serving in the Israeli army, where they like him will walk to the synagogue to share the blessings with fellow Jews. The story resumes in a big new synagogue on Germany, then Canada, Morocco, Thailand, and India. Then the sun sets in Jerusalem on Saturday night, the end of the Shabbat. Avi and Rachel walk home with their family from the Kotel, the ancient stone wall that surrounded the ancient Temple. The family recites the closing Havdalah service over the wine, and they look forward to next Friday when they can again celebrate the Shabbat, the special day, with all Jewish people around the world.