Sammy Spider's First Bar Mitzvah

May 1, 2017

K-Gr 3-Sammy, the cute, curious spider in this long-running series, has celebrated all of the Jewish holidays, gone to school with Josh Shapiro, learned about Jewish values, and traveled to Israel. In this installment, he sneaks into Mr. Shapiro's tallit bag (the small, zippered velvet bag he uses to carry his prayer shawl and kippah to synagogue) to attend Josh's cousin Ben's bar mitzvah. When the Shapiros arrive at the synagogue, Sammy crawls out of the bag and into a large bowl of candy just as Mr. Shapiro grabs a handful. Sammy clings to a piece of candy in Mr. Shapiro's pocket and watches the bar mitzvah boy receive his own prayer shawl, open the ark, and chant from the Torah. At the conclusion of the service, everyone throws the candy at Ben so that he will have "a sweet life filled with Torah and good deeds." Sammy flies through the air with the candy and luckily is picked up by Josh and safely (and miraculously!) returned home to Mrs. Spider. The bright cut-paper illustrations, typical of the series, help to depict a contemporary Jewish synagogue during this important life cycle event. A brief paragraph with additional information is appended. VERDICT Schools and libraries where the Sammy Spider books are popular will welcome this latest addition, which could also be helpful in preparing a young child who is attending a bar or bat mitzvah ceremony for the first time.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016
Preschool-G Josh's family is invited to cousin Ben's bar mitzvah, and as usual, Sammy Spider is curious. The sentient arachnid manages to stow away, first in the family's tallit bag and later in Mr. Shapiro's jacket pocket, providing Sammy (and readers) with a close-up view of all the proceedings. Sammy describes the prayers, singing, carrying of and reading from the Torah that he observes, as well as the congregation joyfully showering Ben with small candies to wish him a sweet life filled with Torah and good deeds. Rouss' well-established series has become the go-to source for introducing Jewish holidays and customs to the very young. Kahn's collage artwork hits just the right note for the intended audiencecolorful, fun, and uncluttered, while staying informative and respectful in tone. As well, this fills a niche for this age group, and the emphasis on religious significance rather than partying will please observant families. Pair this with Isabel Pinson's Bubbe's Belated Bat Mitzvah (2014) to complete the celebration.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)