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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Happy Passover, Edie Rose!
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COUNTRY: Argentina
NATIONALITY: Argentine
LAST VOLUME: SATA 252
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Rosario, Argentina; married; husband’s name Sebastian; children: Facundo, Olivia.
EDUCATION:University of Humanities and Arts, Rosario, Argentina, B.F.A. (fine art).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator and painter.
WRITINGS
Works featuring Cis’s illustrations have been translated into Czech, French, and Italian.
SIDELIGHTS
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Valeria Cis is a children’s book illustrator who was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, where she still lives. She studied fine art at the University of Humanities and Arts in Argentina, and is inspired by nature and plants. Cis illustrates books about animals, farms, children’s play, growing up, Jewish celebrations, and advent calendars.
Cis illustrated her 2009 debut book The Beeman, written by Laurie Krebs, which explores the fascinating world of bees. Grandpa is a beeman who wears a net around his head when he cultivates bees, blows smoke to calm the bees before he opens the hive, and harvests honey. The book provides information on the lives of the queen and drone bees, how to keep bees, the role bees play in nature pollinating plants, and foods that taste good with honey, like warm muffins. Cis’s “warm handsomely patterned acrylic paintings aid in the comprehension of the beekeeping process,” according to a writer in ForeWord, who added: “This cozy intergenerational story will delight young readers.”
A Tale of Two Sedars, written by Mindy Avra Portnoy, follows a young Jewish girl whose parents get divorced and how she now has to celebrate Passover at two households. She notices the differences in the two sedars, such as sticky matzo balls at one and too long sedars at the other, but rejoices when the whole family meets at the temple together. While the girl hopes her parents will reconcile, over the years she comes to accept things as they are and learns to make new traditions. In Booklist, Kay Weisman remarked: “Cis’ brightly colored artwork is filled with holiday details, particularly the items required for a seder.”
In the playful yet educational Millie’s Chickens, written by Brenda Williams, young Millie tends to her suburban backyard flock of multibreed chickens. As the book follows Millie as she does her chores, readers learn about feeding chickens corn and grit, gathering eggs, cooking eggs, and egg recipes. It also discusses chicken anatomy and lifecycle, different breeds, the parts of an egg, and chicken coops and fencing. Writing in Kirkus Reviews, a critic remarked: “Cis’ folk-art style results in occasional inconsistencies from page to page,” nevertheless, the book is “an equally sweet companion” to Krebs and Cis’s The Beeman.
Joy Preble wrote and Cis illustrated Happy Passover, Edie Rose!. Mia loves to attend seder at her neighbor Edie Rose’s house. They make decorations and act out parts of the Passover story together. Mia also loves to hear stories of Edie Rose’s travels around the world. One year, Edie Rose falls and breaks her arm so she can’t host the seder, so Mia steps up, believing she is old enough to prepare everything for the event herself. Common Passover foods, like macaroons and potato kugel, and activities, like reciting the Four Questions, are presented. “Friendship and community building are welcome themes in this Passover tale” that sports “stylized illustrations,” declared a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2008, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Beeman, p. 48; May 1, 2010, Kay Weisman, review of A Tale of Two Seders, p. 92.
Children’s Bookwatch, September, 2009, review of What Will I Be When I Grow Up? How God Made Me Somebody Special
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2008, review of The Beeman; November 1, 2024, review of Happy Passover, Edie Rose!; January 1, 2015, review of Millie’s Chickens.
School Library Journal, June, 2008, Grace Oliff, review of The Beeman, p. 108; April, 2010, Rachel Kamin, review of A Tale of Two Seders, p. 138.
ONLINE
MB Artists, https://www.mbartists.com/ (May 1, 2025), author profile.
Valeria Cis Home Page, http://www.valeriacis.com (February 1, 2013).
Valeria Cis Web log, http://www.lacasuni.blogspot.com (February 1, 2013).*
Valeria Cis was born and raised in the city of Rosario, Argentina, where she still lives with her son Facundo, her little daughter Olivia and her husband Sebastián. As a little girl, Valeria spent many hours painting and drawing especially on rainy days. She also loved to read and among her favorites were stories about animals, princes and princesses from foreign lands, and their adventures. Once she realized that she could merge her two passions, she dedicated her time and talent to illustrating children’s books. Valeria studied fine art at The University of Humanities and Arts in Rosario. Her illustration, inspired by daily events and ordinary objects, is brought to life with special attention to detail and pattern. When not illustrating, she likes to spend her time playing with her son, Facundo and cat, Roberta and collecting wooden chairs and old irons.
Below are her recent projects, Conoce a Jorge Luis Borges by Georgina Lázaro León (Vista Higher Learning), Families Celebrate Advent & Christmas 2020-21 by Augsburg Fortress (Augsburg Fortress Publishers), Celia. La niña que cantaba con las manos by Juan Francisco Vascuñán (Planeta Sostenible), Justo a tiempo by Diego Javier Rojas (Lúdico Ediciones), Una Tertulia Inolvidable by Natalia Schapiro (Edebé ), A Heart Just Like My Mother's by Lela Nargi (Kar-Ben Publishing), Fast Farm and Slow Farm by Min Jee Jung (Tantan Publishing), ABC & Color Me (Walter Foster Jr), Millie's Chickens by Brenda Williams (Barefoot Books), Under the Sea: Sticker, Punch-out, & Play! (Walter Foster Jr.), Bubbe's Belated Bat Mitzvah by Isabel Pinson (Kar-Ben Publishing), Garden Fairies Play Scene , On The Farm Puzzle Wheel, Mermaids 42 Puzzle & My House Playspace created for Mudpuppy, The Beeman by Laurie Krebs (Barefoot Books), A Tale of Two Seders by Mindy Avra Portnoy (Kar-Ben Pub), What Will I Be When I Grow Up? by Susan Snyder (Harvest House Publishers), Get to Know Pablo Neruda by Georgina Lazaro Leon (Alfaguara Infantil), and When Veronica Knits (Sudamericana).
See more of Valeria's art:
Valeria's personal website
My name is Valeria Cis, I'm an Illustrator and painter living in Argentina. I work with acrylic on paper or Canvas and love botanical subject. I also illustrate children books and enjoy to give Life to different characters and create scenes.
My studio, named La Casuni, is in Rosario, a City by the Paraná River. I use to spend time rowing and this inspires me so much!!! The contact with nature fills my mind with Energy and inspiración. And all this I Drop with many Colors in my paints.
Laurie Krebs and Valeria Cis illustrator; THE BEEMAN; Barefoot Books (Children's Picture Book) $16.99 ISBN: 9781846861468
"Here is his jacket / with zippered-up hood / that covers his face / just the way it should" a little boy narrates while helping his beekeeper grandfather known around town as the Beeman. The boy continues the invitingly rhyming verse that recalls "The House That Jack Built" as he watches his grandfather carefully open the beehive harvest the honey return a bit of it to the bees to nourish them during the winter and enjoy the rest at home over grandma's warm muffins.
Bold text highlights important terms such as the deep a box that holds the beehives; the smoker which quiets the bees while opening their hive; and the extractor which removes and collects the honey from beehive frames. The boy not only describes the art and science of beekeeping but also life inside of the hive and how the queen bee ("the heart of the hive") drone bees workers and house bees all contribute and work together to make honey.
A first grade teacher for twenty years author Laurie Krebs found inspiration for this accessible book from her beekeeping husband. Their travels have also inspired such titles as We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey through Tanzania We're Sailing Down the Nile: A Journey through Egypt and Off We Go to Mexico!: An Adventure in the Sun. The Beeman is Argentinean illustrator Valeria Cis's first work on an American book. Her warm handsomely patterned acrylic paintings aid in the comprehension of the beekeeping process and depict the grandson and grandfather's respect for the bees as well as their mutual adoration for each other.
Following the story is more in-depth information on the anatomy and life cycles of bees bee colonies and the beekeeper's job and tools. The author also provides greater detail on how honey is produced and the importance of pollination and even bee dancing ("The faster they dance the richer the supply of nectar"). Children learn early that bees make honey but very few of them (as well as very few adults) know how they actually do it. This cozy intergenerational story will delight young readers as it educates them on these industrious insects. (April)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 Foreword Magazine, Inc.
http://www.forewordmagazine.com
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"The Beeman." ForeWord, 19 Aug. 2009. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A236034612/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e4e03ccc. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
A Tale of Two Seders.
By Mindy Avra Portnoy. Illus. by Valeria Cis.
2010. 32p. Kar-Ben, $17.95 (9780822599074); paper, $7.95 (9780822599319). Gr. 1-3.
A young girl with divorced parents describes how she celebrates Passover in two separate households. She notes differences in foods, activities, and participants: Dad's matzo balls are sticky, and his celebrations eventually include his new fiancee; Mom can cook, but her seders are too long. Although she wishes her parents would reconcile, she accepts her new reality, making the culminating celebration (held at the temple with her entire family in attendance) very satisfying for this child. Portnoy, a rabbi and the author of Where Do People Go When They Die? (2004), writes with empathy and humor of this common situation. In comparing families and charoset (a traditional Passover food made with apples, nuts, and wine), Mom makes the point that each one is different but tasty in its own way. Cis' brightly colored artwork is filled with holiday details, particularly the items required for a seder. The text is appended with recipes for four different types of charoset and a glossary of terms.--Kay Weisman
Weisman, Kay
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Weisman, Kay. "A Tale of Two Seders." Booklist, vol. 106, no. 17, 1 May 2010, p. 92. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A226161208/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=14c35c34. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Pinson, Isabel BUBBE'S BELATED BAT MITZVAH Kar-Ben (Children's Picture Books) $17.95 9, 1 ISBN: 978-1-4677-1949-0
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)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Pinson, Isabel: BUBBE'S BELATED BAT MITZVAH." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A378247228/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e5238faa. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Williams, Brenda MILLIE'S CHICKENS Barefoot (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 3, 31 ISBN: 978-1-78285-082-3
In a tale with a warm tone and an instructional bent, a suburban child tenderly tends a rooster, a trio of hens and their hatchlings in her backyard.In verse that suffers due to the overuse of "around" as a rhyming word and end words elsewhere that rhyme only in England (and certain parts of New England), Williams introduces young Millie's small multibreed flock. She describes the girl's daily routines, from feeding and cuddling to gathering eggs, and closes with Millie and her mom enjoying a delicious meal of eggs on buttered toast. This is followed by pages of more specific comments on chicken breeds, anatomy and care, plus recipes--just for cooking the aforementioned eggs (Millie's reasons for keeping a rooster go unexamined). Cis captures the idyllic tone with a small but spacious, neatly kept peaceable kingdom surrounded by a properly high, solid fence. A movable coop and the hopper that Millie fills with corn and grit are the only special items to be seen. Cis' folk-art style results in occasional inconsistencies from page to page and sometimes-peculiar scale. An equally sweet companion to Laurie Krebs and Cis' The Beeman (2008), though young children (and their parents) with a yen to raise poultry for pets or other purposes will be better off with a conventional manual. (Picture book. 6-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Williams, Brenda: MILLIE'S CHICKENS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A395222543/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8238dd08. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Cis, Valeria HAPPY PASSOVER, EDIE ROSE! Kar-Ben (Children's None) $18.99 1, 7 ISBN: 9798765629949
A child plans a Passover seder when a beloved neighbor, who usually hosts it, has a medical emergency.
Mia loves seders at Edie Rose's apartment. Everyone in the building is invited, and Edie arranges things so the guests won't have to bring anything. Mia enjoys making decorations and acting out parts of the Passover story. Edie, who has wrinkles and salt-and-pepper hair, tells Mia that when Moses led his people out of Egypt, they worked together. This year, though, Edie falls and injures her arm shortly before Passover and won't be able to prepare the seder. Inspired by stories of Edie's adventures around the world, Mia sets out on a journey of her own to make Edie's seder happen after all. Edie and Mia's sweet intergenerational friendship notwithstanding, astute readers may wonder why Edie usually insists on preparing everything herself while extolling the art of working together. Common Passover foods, such as macaroons and potato kugel, are referenced, as well as seder activities such as searching for the afikomen and reciting the Four Questions. In the stylized illustrations, Mia has light brown skin and curly hair, Edie is light-skinned, and the building's residents are diverse. A brief paragraph describes the basics of Passover, but adults introducing the holiday to children may want to pair this tale with books that contain more extensive backmatter.
Friendship and community building are welcome themes in this Passover tale.(Picture book. 4-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Cis, Valeria: HAPPY PASSOVER, EDIE ROSE!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A813883656/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8f03a921. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.