Bubbe's Belated Bat Mitzvah

Starred review from August 4, 2014
Naomi's 95-year-old great-grandmother Bubbe never had a Bat Mitzvah; she grew up in an era when "girls didn't study Hebrew and weren't called to the Torah." Determined to set that to rights, Naomi persuades Bubbe to celebrate an adult Bat Mitzvah, and she mobilizes all her cousins across the country to lend their talents and ensure that Bubbe's bima appearance garners a resounding "Mazel Tov!" Naomi helps Bubbe practice the Hebrew of her Torah portion and quells the older woman's last-minute nerves, another cousin plays writing coach for the obligatory speech, and so on. Pinson makes an assured authorial debut with a much-needed story about an increasingly common Jewish life cycle ritual. The concise, straightforward prose sidesteps sentimentality while emphasizing Naomi's calm, focused, take-charge style; this girl has future CEO written all over her. Cis's (A Tale of Two Seders) warmhearted acrylic illustrations have naïve touches and recurring circular elements that convey an extended but close-knit family rolling up its collective sleeves on behalf of a beloved matriarch. Ages 3â9. Illustrator's agent: Mela Bolinao, MB Artists.

August 15, 2014
Is serenity a narrative problem? Bubbe can't remember how many kippot she's made. She's 95, and she's crocheted a skullcap for every bar and bat mitzvah and wedding in her family. Her great-granddaughter Naomi thinks it's time for Bubbe to have a bat mitzvah ceremony of her own. In some books, this would be a source of tension. Bubbe might struggle with the religious texts. She might argue with people who think a religious service should be led by a man. But this is a book with no conflict. Bubbe decides to learn Hebrew, and she does. Some readers might prefer a book with less harmony and tranquility, and less sedate pacing. But it seems uncharitable, somehow, to wish any struggle or pain on Naomi and her Bubbe, whose account of her descendants' coming-of-age ceremonies is something of a thumbnail history of the evolution of the role of women in Judaism. Cis' illustrations are so expressive that Bubbe's eyes, captured in a few strokes of paint, instantly make her seem both wise and kind. On the day of the bat mitzvah, all the family members are wearing matching kippot, crocheted by Naomi. This is the exact opposite of conflict, and if it's a little dull, it's dull in the most satisfying way possible. No strife necessary: Readers will be content just to have met Bubbe and Naomi. (Picture book. 3-9)

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July 1, 2014

K-Gr 3-When Naomi's great-grandmother talks about her brother's Bar Mitzvah and reveals that she never became a Bat Mitzvah herself, Naomi suggests she do so at the age of 95. Reflecting on the changing role of women over the generations helps convince Bubbe, and her great-grandchildren pitch in to help her get ready. She does them all proud on the big day and pledges to help Naomi prepare for her own Bat Mitzvah. This may be the only picture book in existence to address the topic of adult B'nai Mitzvah and certainly the only one that encompasses the social history of the ritual. It is unique in this way but universal in its portrayal of the excitement, nervousness, and hard work that goes into preparing for this rite of passage. It is noteworthy that Bubbe models the joy of the ritual itself rather than that of an accompanying party that, in modern life, sometimes overshadows the ceremony. The book does not include any explanatory notes on B'nai Mitzvah, making it best suited to audiences already familiar with it. The straightforward, clean, and simple text portrays a warm and loving family and community. The folksy acrylic illustrations are friendly, rounded, and colorful. The pictures include a female cantor who wears a kippah and tallit and other women wearing kippot (traditionally male religious garb). This book fills a gap we didn't even know we had in a positive way.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Grades K-3 Naomi's 95-year-old great-grandmother crochets kippot for her family to wear during their bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies. But when Bubbe was young, those events were just for boys. Naomi's mother was the first girl in the family to be a bat mitzvah; now all the family's girls step to the bima and read. When Naomi suggests it's not too late for Bubbe to have a bat mitzvah, Bubbe laughs. But after a talk with the rabbi and weeks of study and practice, it is Bubbe, wearing a kippot crocheted by Naomi, who is called to the Torah. All the young members help with the event, making the invitations and helping with the foodand all of them are there on the big day. On the last page, readers find Pinson's inspiration for the booka photo of her mother, who became a bat mitzvah at 95, surrounded by her own family. The chunky, stylized art is a good match for this pleasing story, which not only shows a lovely link between generations but also proves that you're never to old to learn.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)