Cheesecake for Shavuot

April 1, 2013

Gr 1-4-This photo-essay shows Israeli schoolchildren growing and harvesting wheat according to biblical methods and turning it into crust for cheesecake, which is customarily served during Shavuot. There is mention of the Book of Ruth, a biblical story read during the holiday in which grain harvesting plays a significant part. The color photos are cheerful and interesting, if a bit busy. Several spreads are composed of smaller shots, making the book challenging to share with a group. An endnote explains the complicated symbolism of the holiday, which celebrates the harvest, the first fruits of the year, and the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. A cheesecake recipe is included. Jewish families and schools will be pleased to add this title to their collections, but the lack of context makes it unsuitable for a general audience.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2013
An appealing photo essay follows Israeli children as they work in their school garden and kitchen. Color photographs, in close-up detail, capture a teacher and her middle-grade students as they plant wheat in the fall and watch it grow with the help of winter rains. In the spring, the grains are harvested, and the stalks are dried in the sun. Threshing, winnowing and grinding follow. The class brings the gleanings to a petting zoo and feeds them to some goats. They then use their wheat, along with cheese from goats' milk, to prepare a cheesecake and decorate it with strawberries from the school garden. As explained in an afterword, the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, "weeks" in Hebrew, is celebrated in late May or early June as the time that Jews were given the Torah. The biblical story of Ruth (who gleaned wheat) is read at this time. And why a cheesecake? Shavuot is also a celebration of both the grain harvest and fruit harvest. In addition, mother goats have more milk in the spring, which makes eating dairy products a holiday tradition. Children who participate in community and/or school gardening projects will find kindred spirits and useful information here. Recipe included. A holiday-cum-gardening-cum-food adventure in one neat package. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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