SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Don’t Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.karenrostoker-gruber.com/
CITY: Branchburg
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 367
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Brooklyn, NY; married; children: one daughter.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and puppeteer. Performer and presenter at schools and libraries. Member and four-time One-on-One Conference co-chair, Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature.
MEMBER:Authors Guild, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; Book Meshuggenahs (writing group).
AWARDS:Works included on New Jersey Bureau of Education and Research’s “Best of the Year” list and on state reading lists; Imagination Library selection, Dollywood Foundation, 2007 and 2008, for Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo; Outstanding Children’s Literature Award, Church and Synagogue Library Association, 2016, for Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match;
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
New Jersey-based author Karen Rostoker-Gruber began her writing career as a humorist who also wrote children’s books. She began to focus increasingly on the children’s market at the suggestion of publishers, who found her upbeat stories and use of puns and other wordplay to be a perfect fit for the story-hour crowd. In addition to picture books such as Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo, which School Library Journal critic Carolyn Janssen described as “packed with amusing puns,” Rostoker-Gruber has created lively stories like Bandit and Ferret Fun. She also entertains children as a ventriloquist, appearing before young audiences together with her puppets Maria and Frog.
Rostoker-Gruber was born in Brooklyn, New York, but moved to New Jersey at age eight. [open new]It was around then that she started writing stories, with dreams of writing Pippi Longstocking sequels. Loving her Highlights and Dynamite magazines, she created monthly activity books for her little sister, titled “Kidstuff” and deposited in a home-crafted mailbox. She related to KidLit 411, “I designed word puzzles, wrote science-related stories, created a how-to-crafts section, and drew hidden object pages for her to do.” The younger sister had to return the completed puzzles in a matching mailbox for the elder, who aspired to be a teacher and corrected them. Rostoker-Gruber got in the habit of submitting jokes, artwork, and puzzles to magazines like Reader’s Digest in hopes of seeing her name in print.[suspend new] She published her first book, The Unofficial College Survival Guide, in 1992, and followed that with a series of tongue-in-cheek books about male-female relationships and dynamics, before shifting her central focus to children. A hardworking writer, Rostoker-Gruber has dozens of manuscripts in play at any one time, most of which are geared for children. “I write on two levels,” the author explained to My Central Jersey contributor Dominic Serrao. “The first is for the children, but the books that I write need to make the parents laugh as well. If you’re going to read the same story over and over again to your child, that book better be laugh-out-loud funny.”
Illustrated by Vincent Nguyen, both Bandit and Bandit’s Surprise focus on a spunky orange tiger kitten that lives with a little girl named Michelle. In Bandit the kitty finds its home in an uproar as the family prepares to move to a new home, and even when its toys are scattered all around the new house Bandit views its old house as home. Bandit’s Surprise finds the kitten forced to share Michelle’s affections with a new kitten, the insufferable Mitzy, whose cuteness and constant antics prompt the jealous Bandit to escape through an open window and run away from home. In Booklist, Ilene Cooper praised the “witty” story in Bandit, while in School Library Journal, Kara Schaff Dean asserted that Rostoker-Gruber’s “fresh” approach to a familiar childhood trauma—a family move—“will resonate with children who have moved themselves.” Praising the “well-paced story” in Bandit’s Surprise, Gillian Engberg added of Bandit’s second outing that Nguyen’s “polished, simply shaded drawings” “add to the book’s read-aloud appeal.” In her School Library Journal review of Bandit’s Surprise, Carrie Rogers-Whitehead commended Rostoker-Gruber’s ability to craft “laugh-out-loud dialogue,” adding that the artist’s “clever” illustrations feature cat characters with “humanlike expressions [that] give feeling to the text.”
[resume new]Rostoker-Gruber began to focus more on Jewish religion and culture with Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match, which was originally titled “Farmer Ted’s Dinner Date” and framed as a sequel to Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo. She revised the tale to feature an Israeli setting and kosher farm when Behrman House enlisted her to provide content demonstrating Jewish values—in this case, as collaborator Rabbi Ron Isaacs points out, compassion for animals and welcoming guests. Farmer Kobi is eager to entertain a visitor named Polly on the second night of Hanukkah, with his donkey, goats, sheep, and geese helping out around the house. They all realize Polly is not Mrs. Right, however, when Kobi’s animal family baffles her. Fortunately, the next date is more promising. Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match became one of three Jewish-themed books launching the dedicated imprint Apples & Honey Press. In School Library Journal, Teri Markson hailed the story as “humorous” with a “happy ending.”
With The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah, Rostoker-Gruber offers an in-depth, illustrated guidebook to holding a seder, the Passover feast. Prayers and songs are provided in both Hebrew and English, “Think About” sidebars prompt discussion with grown-ups, and modern-day updates to traditional rituals and phrasing are suggested. Observing that the book features “activities, fun facts, and a humorous cartoon frog” to engage youngsters as well as “lucidly written, thorough text for more advanced readers,” Heidi Rabinowitz affirmed in School Library Journal that families “will enjoy the thoughtful approach to holiday traditions.” Maddie the Mitzvah Clown is about a shy mouse who dreams of making others laugh, like the performer at Grandma’s senior home, and gets mentored by Giggles in the tricks of the clown trade. With Maddie finding fulfillment and a confidence boost as “Squeakers,” a Kirkus Reviews writer concluded: “Describing a different way to give back to the community (and help oneself), this cheery outing should not be confined to its Jewish context.”[suspend new]
In A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale, Rostoker-Gruber tells her own version of a Jewish folktale. “Rostoker-Gerber’s story is a hilarious reminder of the importance of perspective in life,” wrote a contributor to Celebrate Picture Books. “I came across a Yiddish folktale that I loved when I was a child,” Rostoker-Gruber told Cara J. Stevens in an interview on Medium. “At 3am that night, after going over and over one of the folktales in my head all day long, I wrote this down on a sticky note: A note written in chicken scratch. In case you can’t read chicken-scratch, it says: ‘No room to sit, no room to pace, no room to rest, no extra space!’”
The family at the center of the story faces a conundrum: their house is too small for all of them. They turn to a wise woman for advice. The woman advises them to bring all of the animals from their farm into the house. That way when the animals are sent back outside the house will feel big, having been decluttered of noisy animals. The animals take up space in the house to comedic effect—a horse in the bathtub and a duck in the toilet. The family comes to terms with their space after the animals are expelled and learn to be happy with what they have. “This story is highly recommended for those wishing for a rollicking good time and a dose of additional humor into an age-old tale of wisdom” wrote Michal Hoschander Malen for the Jewish Book Council. Karin Fisher-Golton, writing on Sydney Taylor Shmooze, commented, “Lyrical writing along with lively dialog make this a delightful read aloud.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews concluded that A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale is “a Yiddish folktale retold without the oy vey.”
[re-resume new]In Don’t Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah, another Apples & Honey title, the young narrator cautions that inviting a hungry bear over for Hanukkah may well result in a lack of sharing. Yet in this case, the poor shooed-away bear is left to celebrate the holiday alone in his den, so an outdoor barbecue celebration for everyone proves the perfect compromise. A Kirkus Reviews writer praised this title as a “sweet, good-humored … charmer about the special meanings of Hanukkah: joy, friendship, and inclusion.”[close new]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2008, Ilene Cooper, review of Bandit, p. 46; April 1, 2010, Gillian Engberg, review of Bandit’s Surprise, p. 45.
Horn Book, July-August, 2004, Kitty Flynn, review of Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo, p. 441.
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2004, review of Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo, p. 447; February 15, 2010, review of Bandit’s Surprise; September 1, 2015, review of Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match; February 15, 2017, review of Maddie the Mitzvah Clown; August 1, 2020, review of A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale; December 1, 2024, review of Don’t Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah.
Record (Bergen County, NJ), May 9, 2010, Mike Kerwick, “Kids Author Finds Hard-Won Success,” p. F7.
School Library Journal, July, 2004, Carolyn Janssen, review of Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo, p. 88; May, 2008, review of Bandit, p. 107; March, 2010, Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, review of Bandit’s Surprise, p. 130; June, 2016, Gwen Collier, review of Ferret Fun in the Sun, p. 92; February, 2017, Heidi Rabinowitz, review of The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah, p. 116; October, 2015, Teri Markson, review of Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match, p. 68.
ONLINE
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (November 5, 2024), author Q&A.
Celebrate Picture Books, https://celebratepicturebooks.com/ (November 23, 2020), review of A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale.
Jena Benton website, https://jenabenton.com/ (November 19, 2024), “Simply 7 with Karen Rostoker-Gruber.”
Jewish Book Council website, https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/ (December 28, 2020), Michal Hoschander Malen, review of A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale.
Karen Rostoker-Gruber website, https://www.karenrostoker-gruber.com (May 24, 2025).
KidLit 411, https://www.kidlit411.com/ (November 13, 2015), “Author Spotlight: Karen Rostoker-Gruber.”
Medium, https://medium.com/ (October 2, 2020), Cara J. Stevens, author interview.
Melissa Stoller website, https://www.melissastoller.com/ (January 15, 2021), Melissa Stoller, “3 Question Interview—Karen Rostoker-Gruber.”
My Central Jersey, http://www.mycentraljersey.com/ (August 21, 2008), Dominic Serrao, author profile.
Nancy Churnin website, https://www.nancychurnin.com/ (December 12, 2019), “Shmoozing with Karen Rostoker-Gruber about Mitzvahs, Matches and Meshuggenahs.”
Sydney Taylor Shmooze, https://www.sydneytaylorshmooze.com/ (November 25, 2020), Karin Fisher-Golton, review of A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale.
Writers’ Rumpus, https://writersrumpus.com/ (February 11, 2020), author interview.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them), https://taralazar.com/ (September 17, 2020), Tara Lazar, author interview.
Karen Rostoker-Gruber is a multi-award-winning author of many picture books with hundreds of thousands of copies sold.
Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match (Apples & Honey Press 2015), was named a National Jewish Book Award Finalist and was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Children’s Literature Award from the Church and Synagogue Library Association. Her books Bandit (Marshall Cavendish 2008), Bandit’s Surprise (Marshall Cavendish 2010), and Ferret Fun (Marshall Cavendish 2011) all received starred reviews in School Library Journal; Rooster Can’t … (Dial 2004) and Bandit were both International Reading Association Children’s Book Council Children’s Choices Award recipients; three of her books, Rooster Can’t… (in 2005), Bandit (in 2009), and Ferret Fun (in 2012) were all chosen for the 100 Best Children’s Books in the Bureau of Education and Research’s Best of the Year Handbook. Rooster Can’t… and Ferret Fun were nominated for the Missouri Show Me Award; Bandit was nominated for the South Carolina Book Award; and Rooster Can’t… was a Dollywood Foundation selection two years in a row (in 2007 the Dollywood Foundation bought 73,579 copies and in 2008 it bought 88,996 copies). Karen’s book, Maddie the Mitzvah Clown (Apples & Honey Press 2017), was named a PJ Library book selection in July of 2017 and went out to 21,000 4-year-olds in the US and Canada. Her latest books Happy Birthday, Trees (KarBen), also a PJ Library Selection, which went out to 30,000 children in 2021; and A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale (Whitman) were both published in 2020.
Her other books are: Food Fright (Price Stern Sloan / PRH 2003); Tea Time (Marshall Cavendish 2010); Ferret Fun in the Sun (Marshall Cavendish / Two Lions 2015); and The Family and Frog Haggadah (Behrman House 2017). Her latest book, Don’t Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah, will be published by Apples & Honey Press in 2024.
She has co-chaired the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature’s One-on-One Conference four times and is a member of The Authors Guild.
Maria and Karen Rostoker-GruberKaren is also a published humorist. Her first humor book, “The Unofficial College Survival Guide,” was published in 1992 by Great Quotations. Her second book, “Remote Controls Are Better Than Women Because. . .,” was published by Longstreet Press in 1993, and her third book, “Telephones Are Better Than Men Because. . .,” also published by Longstreet Press, came out in 1996. Her latest “If Men Had Babies. . .,” was published by CCC Publications, LLC in 2001.
Author Spotlight: Karen Rostoker-Gruber
November 13, 2015
Today we are pleased to feature author Karen Rostoker-Gruber! Karen is the author of the picture book, FARMER KOBI’S HANUKKAH MATCH and many more. Be sure to enter the giveaway of the book!
Welcome, Karen!
Tell us about your background and how you came to write for children.
I've been writing children's books since I was eight years old. I thought I was going to be the next Pippi Longstocking sequel writer until I found out that that job was already taken. Bummer. :(
After that bubble burst, I began writing activity books for my younger sister. I loved getting my monthly Dynamite and Highlights magazines in the mail and I wanted her to get a magazine, too. I made her a mailbox and I sent her "my" magazine once a month, which I called Kidstuff. I designed word puzzles, wrote science-related stories, created a how-to-crafts section, and drew hidden object pages for her to do. She had to send it back to me in a mailbox that I made for myself, so I could correct it, of course. (I wanted to be a teacher. )
After that, I became obsessed with seeing my name in print. I used to send jokes to Readers Digest, etc, and any place that took outside jokes, artwork, or puzzles. I still have a sample of something that I did for a magazine when I was eight and also one that I inked when I was a bit older.
Tell us about your latest book, FARMER KOBI’S HANUKKAH MATCH.
FARMER KOBI'S HANUKKAH MATCH came out just in time for Hanukkah this year and it's a hoot! I filled it with tons of animal puns and sick humor, for the parents. (You have to have humor in there for the parents, or they'll get bored.)
Farmer Kobi invites a woman named Polly over for dinner to meet his family, which is made up of sheep, goats, geese, and a donkey. The animals are very nervous about meeting Polly, but Polly is anything BUT nice to them. She doesn't want to sing Hanukkah songs with geese, light the menorah with sheep, or play dreidel with goats, she wants to be alone with Farmer Kobi! Halfway through the dinner, she storms out.
"She was definitely NOT Farmer Kobi's perfect maaatch," maaaed the goats.
"Her name was Polly Ester--she was a faaake," baaed the sheep.
"She was one rotten egg," honked the geese.
I'm not going to give away the rest, but it is a story about family--any kind of family.
What projects are you working on now?
I like to work on many projects at the same time. My daughter thinks that I have ADHD or ADD. Perhaps she is right. I have about 70 manuscripts that I change and rewrite over and over again, until I feel they are ready to submit.
When is your next project due out?
My next project is due at the end of November.
What is your typical process for writing?
I go to sleep with an idea and wake up at 3 a.m. to write it down in the dark on sticky notes. It's been that way for a long time. I revise and write cover letters during the day, but the real stories happen in the wee hours of the morning for me when my mind is clear and when there is no one awake.
Sticky notes are my obsession. I have them everywhere in the house, in the car, in my purse. My house is wall-to-wall sticky notes. Looking down at a blank piece of paper is scarier than looking down at a cute, yellow sticky note. It's kinda fun collecting all of the sticky notes then putting them all together to make a book. It's like a puzzle. With sticky notes, you can easily move things around until they make the most sense. (I sound like an advertisement for sticky notes, but seriously, they are better than sliced, gluten-free bread.)
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
If I were to give two bits of advice, I'd say:
Join the SCBWI. Learn what it takes to be a successful writer and find out the steps you need to take to get there. Everyone thinks writing for children is easy, but it is actually one of the hardest jobs that I had ever had to do. Every word counts.
Join a critique group where everyone writes what you write. If you are a picture book writer, don't join a group that writes YA. Simple.
Where can people find you on the internet?
www.karenrostoker-gruber.com
My website is filled with Reader's Theater scripts, coloring pages, anti-bullying worksheets and more.
I used to be an adult humor writer. I was on the Ricki Lake Show (and 62 radio shows) back in 1993 for my book, REMOTE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN WOMEN BECAUSE . . .
What is one thing people don't know about you?
I am also a ventriloquist. My side-kick is named Maria and you can see her on my website. We perform at schools and libraries all over NJ. We talk about what it is like to be an author and we take kids from sticky notes at 3 a.m. all the way to the finished piece.
I love working with puppets and I interviewed for a position on Sesame Street. I didn't get it, but that's okay, because I got to answer the Kermit phone in the lobby--yup--coolest day of my life. :)
Karen Rostoker-Gruber is the author of many picture books: ROOSTER CAN'T COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2004); F "FOOD FRIGHT (Price Stern Sloan, 2003); BANDIT (Marshall Cavendish, 2008); BANDIT'S SURPRISE (Marshall Cavendish, 2010), TEA TIME (Marshall Cavendish, 2010); FERRET FUN (Marshall Cavendish 2011). Karen has two new books: FERRET FUN IN THE SUN and FARMER KOBI'S HANUKKAH MATCH.
Karen is also a published humorist. Her humor books include THE UNOFFICIAL COLLEGE SURVIVAL GUIDE (Great Quotations, 1992); REMOTE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN WOMEN BECAUSE . . . (Longstreet Press, 1993); TELEPHONES ARE BETTER THAN MEN BECAUSE . . . (Longstreet Press, 1996), and IF MEN HAD BABIES . . .(CCC Publications, LLC 2001).
Karen is a member of the SCBWI and was a co-chair for the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature’s One-on-One Conference. She was a guest on the Ricki Lake Show and has been promoting her books on over 62 radio shows around the country.
December 12, 2019
Shmoozing with Karen Rostoker-Gruber about Mitzvahs, Matches and Meshuggenahs
Author Karen Rostoker-Gruber is also a ventriloquist. Maria (pictured here) and Frog are always surprising the kids — and her.
Author Karen Rostoker-Gruber is also a ventriloquist. Maria (pictured here) and Frog are always surprising the kids — and her.
Karen Rostoker-Gruber is not only one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, she’s also one of the nicest. Karen has been publishing award-winning children’s books since 2003. It’s been my special pleasure to team up with her to form the Book Meshuggenahs, which you’ll find more about in the interview below along with some perfect picks for Hanukkah, including her Maddie the Mitzvah Clown and Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match. Welcome, Karen!
What was your inspiration for Maddie the Mitzvah Clown?
My editor, Dena Neusner, at Apples and Honey Press, asked me to write about Bikur Cholim, the mitzvah of visiting the sick. The only thing that I knew about that was that there were some mitzvah clowns visiting hospitals and old age homes. I did a lot of research and called a few mitzvah clowns. When the research was done, I had to think of a problem that the main character had to overcome. What if a shy mouse wanted to become a mitzvah clown? How would that work? And what would the mouse have to go through--emotionally--in order for her to be able to become the mitzvah clown that she wanted to be.
In addition to my vision, Ann Koffsky, the art director on the project, had a brilliant idea! The book starts out in black and white, then, as Maddie gains confidence, color begins to appear. The very last page is full-on color.
Maddie the Mitzvah Clown by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Christine Grove. (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
Maddie the Mitzvah Clown by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Christine Grove. (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
Maddie the Mitzvah Clown by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Christine Grove (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
Maddie the Mitzvah Clown by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Christine Grove (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
When and how did you learn it was chosen by PJ Library? How did you feel when you got the news?
The PJ Library, at that time, was just beginning to give author incentive awards, and I just missed that deadline. But, when my editors (Dena Neusner and Ann Koffsky) told me that it got on to the PJ list, I was very excited! 21,000 children received that book in July of 2017 in the US and Canada.
With PJ Library putting books in the hands of children all over the country and Israel, do you ever hear from surprising places?
The most surprising place of all, was when my younger cousin in Canada told me that she got a PJ Library copy. We had no idea!
What have been your most magical places to present?
The most magical place that I've ever presented was at a school in Guleph, Ontario, Canada. They made a HUGE book for me to do my power point presentation on for their "Cuddle Up and Read" program. Notice the size of the people near the BIG book.
A school in Guleph, Ontario, Canada made a HUGE book for Karen to do her presentation on for their "Cuddle Up and Read" program.
A school in Guleph, Ontario, Canada made a HUGE book for Karen to do her presentation on for their "Cuddle Up and Read" program.
The BIG book was so large that it came in someone's truck.
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They also had students, dressed up like my characters in my books, Bandit and Bandit's Surprise, announce me!
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And, if that wasn't enough, they had teachers act out my book, "Ferret Fun." When I saw the BIG book, the decorations, the teachers and students dressed up as my characters, all of the sudden, I got a bit freaked out. For the first time, in a long time, I had stage fright. Good thing I had Maria, my puppet, to talk to.
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With Hanukkah coming, let’s talk about Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match, which has made many Best Of lists and was recently chosen by Parents magazine as one of the best holiday books. What inspired that story? What gave you and your co-author, Rabbi Ron Isaacs, the idea to collaborate and how did you work together?
Actually, Farmer Kobi's Hanukkah Match was originally written as a sequel for my book, Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo. It was called Farmer Ted's Dinner Date, back in 2005. But, my editor at Dial Books had left. And, even though that book sold 250,000 copies (Wowsa!), they didn't like my sequel. So, I put it away for a while. Then, for some reason, in and around 2014, I took it out again. I went to see Ron Isaacs and I asked him to look over some of my stories to see if there were any that had Jewish values, as that was what Behrman House was looking for. Ron Isaacs told me that there were Jewish values in Farmer Ted's Dinner Date: Compassion for Animals and Welcoming Guests. So, I went home, rewrote the story to take place during Hanukkah, and set the story on a moshav (because I have cousins that live on the Nahalal Moshav in Israel).
Here are some Nahal moshav photos taken by my cousin. The illustrator needed them in order to illustrate the book and make sure that it didn't look like a farm over here in the US:
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Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match by Karen Rostoker-Gruber and Rabbi Ron Isaacs. Illustrated by CB Decker (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match by Karen Rostoker-Gruber and Rabbi Ron Isaacs. Illustrated by CB Decker (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
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I had also changed the animals. In Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo, Farmer Ted had Rooster, cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens, but since they don't have pigs on moshavs in Israel, Farmer Kobi had Donkey, goats, geese, and sheep. I had Ron write "A Note for Families" about the two Jewish values that he told me he could include, and we sent it off to Behrman House. (There's also a whole lot of Hebrew sprinkled into the book--on the barns, around his bedroom, in the kitchen, and on Ruthie's license plate.)
Rooster Can’t Cock-A-Doodle-Doo by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos (Dial Books)
Rooster Can’t Cock-A-Doodle-Doo by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos (Dial Books)
Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match by Karen Rostoker-Gruber and Rabbi Ron Isaacs. Illustrated by CB Decker (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match by Karen Rostoker-Gruber and Rabbi Ron Isaacs. Illustrated by CB Decker (Apples & Honey Press/Behrman House)
At that time Behrman House was launching Apples and Honey Press! Who knew! They launched with three books their first season: Farmer Kobi's Hanukkah Match, a book by David Adler called, Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles, and Kayla and Kugel by Ann Koffsky. Here we are at Book Expo! I'm the one in the middle!
Authors David Adler, Karen Rostoker-Gruber and author/illustrator/editor Ann Koffsky at Book Expo.
Authors David Adler, Karen Rostoker-Gruber and author/illustrator/editor Ann Koffsky at Book Expo.
While the animals who help Farmer Kobi prepare meet a woman he likes are at the humorous center of this book, it struck me that this book, subtly, is about much more. Farmer Kobi insists on including his beloved animals, even when his date objects. To me that also represented a single parent making sure his children are included. It also represented someone being honestly and fully himself and making sure any new person in his life is supportive of him as he is. Was that conscious or unconscious?
This whole concept was conscious. I had named Farmer Kobi's date Polly Ester (for polyester) on purpose. It was the joke of the book--especially when I have the sheep say, "Her name was Polly Ester. She was a faaake." I don't know if anyone "got that," some did, but I knew it was there. 🤗 Overall, the story is about family; and Farmer Kobi's animals are family. When Polly Ester rejects the animals, the animals know that she isn't the right match for Farmer Kobi. But, when Ruthie comes along, the animals know right away that she is the perfect match because of the "family" that she has in her truck. I'm not going to spoil the surprise.
You’ve written about a wide variety of subjects, including a book that was chosen by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Can you tell us about that experience?
As I look back, I noticed that I write about animals because of their puns And animals puns are fun! I usually sit with a dictionary for days to get the perfect pun that doesn't feel forced. I write out the dialog first and find a perfect pun for it later. The dialog can't feel forced or it ruins everything. In one of my books, Ferret Fun in the Sun, there is a snake. I had tons of fun with those puns, but my favorite line is this: "A two-for-one sssuper sssupper ssspecial."
Ferret Fun in the Sun by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Paul Rátz de Tagyos (Two Lions)
Ferret Fun in the Sun by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Paul Rátz de Tagyos (Two Lions)
As for the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, I had no idea what it meant to be on that list two years in a row. In 2007 the Dollywood Foundation bought 73,579 copies and in 2008 it bought 88,996 copies for their program. I also found out that children received my book in a beautiful basket. It was truly amazing!
I’m proud to share that you and I are among the founders of the Book Meshuggenahs, a group of Jewish women writing books with Jewish themes. Can you tell us what made you want to start this group?
When you posted the idea, I thought it was a great one! Jewish women writing Jewish books, as we are a marginalized group. I came up with the name "The Book Meshuggenahs" because I love the word meshuggenahs! Who doesn't! I knew that I could make your great idea a reality because I'm really good at putting things together, organizing, and getting people involved.
How would you describe the mission? How do you feel about how it’s evolved?
I think getting Jewish-themed books into the hands of Jewish children and other children is a great idea--especially in this day and age of diversification. It's even better when those books are written by women, who are also a marginalized group. The Book Meshuggenahs group is evolving into something larger than you, Amy Losak, and I had envisioned. Collectively, we have a total of 57 Jewish-themed picture books and 6 more coming out in 2020--one book for every week--essentially. We even have a bookstore now that has on-hand all of our books--Interabang Books!
How can people follow the Book Meshuggenahs?
We are on FB at Book Meshuggenahs, Twitter @TMeshuggenahs, Linkedin and Instagram @bookmeshugs! People can also contact us through our email at: TheBookMeshuggenahs@gmail.com
You are also a ventriloquist. Can you tell us about some of your special friends — Maria and Frog? How did you connect with them? How would you describe their personalities? You’ve shared that you sometimes don’t know what they’re going to say until they say it. Can you share sometimes when they’ve surprised you?
The thing about being a ventriloquist is that I really don't practice what either Frog or Maria will say at any given time, as each time is new and with a different audience. Sure, I know what I'm going to say to children and adults, but they interact with the audience. They are side-kicks, so it depends on what I say or what Ron says during performances. They are both 5 years old because I think that is the age that I'm most comfortable talking as. They are funny, silly, and interested in things. And, sometimes, like 5-year-olds, they say things to people that I can't believe they say; it just comes out. Recently, when I was taping with Frog for Sukkot, I asked if there was anything that he was sorry for. And, without me thinking about it, he told me about going into my scrapbooking papers and using them for his paper links to design the sukkah. I didn't practice that. It wasn't planned.
Maria is my go-to puppet for public schools. Frog now goes with me to JCCs, etc. Here's Maria.
Karen and Maria
Karen and Maria
Here is Frog talking what he was sorry: (We did that video "on the fly.")
For Yom Kippur they read from the book, "Sam and Charlie (and Sam, too)," by Leslie Kimmelman; For Sukkot they read from the book, "A Very Crowded Sukkah," by Leslie Kimmelman; And, for Simhat Torah, they read from the book, "Creation Colors," by Ann Koffsky!
You have some new books coming out in 2020 as well. Can you tell us about them?
I have a book coming out in October 2020 from Albert Whitman called, A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale. It's loosely based on the public domain folktale from Poland, It Could Always Be Worse. Farmer Earl and his wife Marge live in a teeny-tiny house. Farmer Earl can't take it any longer, so he goes off to see the wise woman in town. Find out what the wise woman suggests to Earl to make his home feel less crowded in this very silly, cumulative tale.
The other book, coming out in November of 2020 is from KarBen. It's a board book called Happy Birthday to the Trees. It's a Tu B’shvat board book.
Thanks, Karen, for hanging out with us on The Kids Are All Write!
Want to know more about Karen? She’s a multi-award-winning author of many picture books with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. Farmer Kobi's Hanukkah Match, was named a National Jewish Book Award Finalist and was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Children's Literature Award from the Church and Synagogue Library Association. Her books Bandit (Marshall Cavendish 2008), Bandit's Surprise (Marshall Cavendish 2010), and Ferret Fun(Marshall Cavendish 2011) all received starred reviews in School Library Journal; Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo (Dial 2004) and Bandit were both International Reading Association Children's Book Council Children's Choices Award recipients. Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo was a Dollywood Foundation selection two years in a row (in 2007 the Dollywood Foundation bought 73,579 copies and in 2008 it bought 88,996 copies). Karen's latest book, Maddie the Mitzvah Clown, published by Apples and Honey Press, a division of Behrman House, was named a PJ Library book selection in July of 2017 and went out to 21,000 4-year-olds in the US and Canada. Her latest book Happy Birthday to the Trees comes out from KarBen in 2020 and is also a PJ Library selection. She’s an active member of SCBWI, and she has twice co-chaired the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature's One-on-One Conference.
You can visit her one her website at karenrostoker-gruber.com
On Facebook: Karen Rostoker-Gruber
On Twitter: @KarenRostokerGr
Writer: Melissa Stoller
Melissa Stoller
Jan 15, 2021
4 min read
I'm so happy to interview my friend and fellow Book Meshuggenah Karen Rostoker-Gruber on the blog today. She shares about her new book, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TREES, illustrated by Holly Sterling, and reveals some secrets about her amazing puppet, Maria. Read on for Karen's thoughts about stories . . . creativity . . . and connection. Welcome back, Karen!
1) STORIES – Discuss the inspiration for your ideas and stories, and share the
process about your latest projects.
Here's a bit about the journey for my newest book, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREES:
I was invited to a luncheon in New York for the PJ Library. About 20 other authors were there. At that time I had three published Jewish-themed books, Farmer Kobi's Hanukkah Match, Maddie the Mitzvah Clown, and The Family and Frog Haggadah, which is a real haggadah that was featured in the NY Times!
They told us that they were actively looking for board books and chapter books at the time. I had a lot of board books in my drawer already, so I sent them the one that I liked the best. At that time it was called, "Happy Birthday to the Trees."
Months later, (I forgot all about sending that story into the PJ Library) I got a call from the PJ Library that I won the author incentive award--2000 dollars. Then my agent (I now had an agent) found a publisher for it.
NOTE: I negotiated contracts on my own (with Mary Flower, a publishing lawyer and my husband) for my 14 other traditionally-published books with houses like: Dial Books for Young Readers, Price Stern Sloan, Marshall Cavendish, and Apples and Honey Press. I only had an agent for this book and my new book, A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale.
Joni Sussman from KarBen got back to my agent really quickly about my manuscript. Joni had very few changes and was easy to work with. During the revision process, she showed me the illustrator that she had in mind for my book. I loved Holly's illustration style: simple, colorful, and fun! I couldn't wait to see what Holly would do with this very simple board book. Her characters look like they are having a blast on every page in my book.
You can buy/order this book from any bookstore. Or, you can use my local bookstore:
The Bookworm - 908-766-4599.
Here's a teacher's guide to go with it:
https://thebookmeshuggenahs.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/teacher-guide-for-happy-birthday-trees.pdf
You can also order the book on-line at:
https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Birthday-Trees-Karen-Rostoker-Gruber/dp/1541545648
2) CREATIVITY -- How do you showcase your creative side through writing/illustrating and other pursuits?
I am a self-taught ventriloquist, so that's what I also do in addition to writing books for children. I take Maria (my life-sized puppet) to every school visit--even virtual ones. I just did a virtual presentation for 600 students in New Jersey. And, I've Zoomed with classes in India and California recently.
One time, after a show, a boy came up to me and wanted to know how his parents could "buy" him a puppet like Maria. I told him that I got the last talking puppet on the internet.
Here's Maria as RBG. She likes to dress up.
3) CONNECTION -- How do you connect to your young readers through your
writing/illustrating, and how do you stay connected to the KidLit
community?
I am one of the co-founders of a group called The Book Meshuggenahs. We're 18 Jewish women who write traditionally-published, Jewish theme or character books. Collectively we have over 67 Jewish titles, which is amazing. So I really try to market those books at least once a week on Meshuggenah Monday.
KAREN'S BIO:
Karen Rostoker-Gruber is a multi-award-winning author of many picture books with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. Farmer Kobi's Hanukkah Match, was named a National Jewish Book Award Finalist and was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Children's Literature Award from the Church and Synagogue Library Association. Her books Bandit (Marshall Cavendish 2008), Bandit's Surprise (Marshall Cavendish 2010), and Ferret Fun (Marshall Cavendish 2011) all received starred reviews in School Library Journal; Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo (Dial 2004) and Bandit were both International Reading Association Children's Book Council Children's Choices Award recipients; three of her books, Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo (in 2005), Bandit (in 2009), and Ferret Fun (in 2012) were all chosen for the 100 Best Children's Books in the Bureau of Education and Research's Best of the Year Handbook. Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo and Ferret Fun were nominated for the Missouri Show Me Award; Bandit was nominated for the South Carolina Book Award; and Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo was a Dollywood Foundation selection two years in a row (in 2007 the Dollywood Foundation bought 73,579 copies and in 2008 it bought 88,996 copies). Karen's book, Maddie the Mitzvah Clown, published by Apples and Honey Press, a division of Behrman House, was named a PJ Library book selection in July of 2017 and went out to 21,000 4-year-olds in the US and Canada. Her latest books Happy Birthday, Trees (KarBen), also a PJ Library Selection; and A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale (Whitman) both came out in 2020. She is an active member of SCBWI, and she has twice co-chaired the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature's One-on-One Conference. She is also one of the co-founders of The Book Meshuggenahs.
CONNECT WITH KAREN:
http://www.karenrostoker-gruber.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TMeshuggenahs
Instagram:
https://Instagram.com/rostokergruber
Simply 7 with Karen Rostoker-Gruber & giveaway: DON’T INVITE A BEAR INSIDE FOR HANUKKAH
November 19, 2024 / jenabenton
I love fantastical journeys. Today’s picture book explores what would happen if a bear came inside your house to “help” for Hanukkah.
karen and maria.USE THIS ONEKaren Rostoker-Gruber is a multi-award-winning author of many picture books with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. Farmer Kobi’s Hanukkah Match was named a National Jewish Book Award Finalist and awarded the 2016 Outstanding Children’s Literature Award from the Church and Synagogue Library Association. Her book Maddie the Mitzvah Clown was named a PJ Library book selection in July of 2017 and again in July of 2022. Karen lives in Branchburg, NJ. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Facebook or on Instagram.
Dont-Invite-a-Bear-Inside-for-Hanukkah-Book-Cover-618x800-1 from rolandDON’T INVITE A BEAR INSIDE FOR HANUKKAH is exactly what it sounds like. The story uses second person point of view to address the reader in the form of a nameless boy who doesn’t listen to the narrator and invites a bear inside his home. At first the bear is helpful reaching decorations stored on high shelves, but as you can imagine, it doesn’t end that way. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but then the book veers away from the comedic and does the unexpected by delivering a heart-warming ending that teaches about the Hanukkah tradition of welcoming others into your home. To be both slap-stick hilarious and have an emotional impact is a hard feat to pull off for any story, but here it is done incredibly well.
Welcome Karen!
Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?
Karen: This book took a different road to publication than others, as I’ve worked with Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey Press before. Every once and a while I send her a new book to review because I really respect her opinion. And, she understands my sense of humor.
I sent a board book (about a cat and a bear) to Dena in 2020. She told me to rewrite the board book as a picture book, give the bear and cat (at the time there was a cat) more personality, flesh out the story, give it a story arc, and she’d look at it again. Yikes! It was a total and complete rewrite. All that remained in the end was the bear. LOL.
However, it took me until February 2022, to rework it for her. (You can’t rush creativity.) Once the title popped into my head at 3am, I just kept writing.
Me: What a hilarious concept! What gave you the idea for this story?
Karen: This book BEGGED to be a metafictional tale and I didn’t know of any books like that for Jewish children. (A metafictional tale is where the narrator speaks directly to the reader telling the reader what to do and what not to do.) Here’s the first metafictional spread:
Screenshot 2024-10-26 at 5.15.10 PM
Me: While this is a comedy of chaos that builds and builds, you also manage to sneak in a holiday message that fits so appropriately (and isn’t preachy at all). How in the world did you do that? Please tell me this took many revisions to get this good!
Karen: Dena Nuesner gave this manuscript to the new editor at Apples & Honey Press, Deborah Bodin Cohen. We worked on several drafts before coming to the one that Debbie gave to the illustrator. Deborah Bodin Cohen, is a Rabbi, as well as an editor, so we worked on the inclusivity concept for a while, so it wasn’t teachy-preachy.
Kids don’t like when you tell them to do things, unless it’s in a funny way, so we had to be careful not to sound like we were teaching them an inclusivity lesson.
This book is about including all kinds of people–and bears, in this case–into your holiday plans, even if they have differing abilities or different needs.
(I know that I feel a lot better when I go to people’s houses and they tell me what dishes I can have and what dishes I can’t have; I’m gluten-free and dairy-free.)
Screenshot 2024-10-26 at 5.15.18 PM
Me: I love how the bear is clumsy and egocentric, but not ill-intentioned (like many children we know). Why did you choose a bear of all the animals that could be the focus? Was it because of his size?
Karen: Bears are scary and lovable all at the same time. They are fuzzy, and look like they’ll be comfortable, but their large size can be overwhelming.
I always tell kids, if you are scared of things in a book, just turn the page. Most kids want to see scary things over and over and over again, until they are comfortable with it. They feel empowered when they turn the page and the scary thing is gone. And, once they become okay with the scary thing, it’s no longer scary.
In this book the bear looks beary friendly (and lonely). And, it’s a mitzvah to invite guests inside for holidays, so the child takes a chance.
Me: The illustrations by Carles Arbat are perfect! I love the interpretation of your text. Did you have any art notes? Or did the illustration really up the humor here? Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?
Karen: Carles did a wonderful job of interpreting my text. I did have some art notes, but not a lot. I spoke about the bear “trying to help” in a bear-type of way–like a child would. Sometimes when a child helps (or a bear, in this case), it’s good; sometimes it’s more work than one bargained for. But you have to let children (and bears, in this case) help decorate, cook, or clean, or they’ll never learn how to do it.
I had tiny art notes: I wanted the menorah in the bear’s den to be made out of tree branches or twigs, etc. I leave a lot of room for the illustrator, so I didn’t have many notes.
My favorite scene is when the child and the bear walk back through the woods once the child figures out how to have the bear celebrate with the family. The smiles on both of their faces– priceless.
Plus, I just love the winter scene that Carles dreamed up. There are other animals running and flying around during their walk home: birds, rabbits, a fox…. There’s soooo much to look at.
Here’s Carles with our favorite page.
Me: I understand you’re a ventriloquist and you have a doll named Maria. Does she go with you to all of your school events? Would you have her read this story to students?
Karen: Maria, my life-size puppet, goes with me on school visits when we talk about what it’s like to be an author.
IMG-3711However, when I go to preKs and bookstores, I bring puppets from the books. I have a bear puppet for this book. And, my BFF, @BerniceGoll is weaving the bear a Hanukkah scarf, just like the one in the book. It’s on the loom right now.
I’ll also be doing story times at bookstores with my goat, duck, and horse puppet for my other book, “A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale.”
Me: Any advice for other aspiring picture book writers?
Karen: I have a lot of answers and tips on my website. (I have a step-by-step process for getting traditionally published—complete with forms. There’s even a three-part video of me teaching people how to get published.)
But here’s some quick tips:
Tip 1A:
Go to conferences to meet editors one-on-one. It’s invaluable.
Tip 1B:
Go to the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature One-on-One Conference (RUCCL.org). If you get in (it’s based on writing ability), you will be matched up with an editor, agent, art director, a successful illustrator, or a successful author.
I applied WAY back and it led to my first two children’s book deals. (I was an adult humor writer before getting into children’s books.)
Tip 2:
Get an agent, if you can. Just try it. It can’t hurt. There’s a lot of rejection in this business—just FYI.
I’ve had 5 agents, but they all left me for different reasons: to go back to teaching; to write their own books; to cut back their list to only non-fiction; to stop being an agent; to become a textbook agent; etc.
Even though they all left me for one reason or another, it still hurt. It’s like a break-up. However, even I can’t submit manuscripts to places that I’ve been published with in the past without an agent these days—even to editors that I know and have worked with before.
That’s great advice Karen. Thank you for stopping by my blog today.
But wait, dear readers, there’s more! Karen has also agreed to giveaway one copy of her book (US contestants only). You can enter the rafflecopter here. Good luck!
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Q&A with Karen Rostoker-Gruber
Karen Rostoker-Gruber is the author of the new children's picture book Don't Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah. Her many other books include A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale.
Q: What inspired you to write Don't Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah?
A: This book took a different road to publication than my other books, as I've worked with Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey before. Every once and a while I send her a new book to review because I really respect her opinion. And she understands my sense of humor. (I leave a lot of room for the illustrator, so it's deadpan humor mostly.)
I sent a board book (about a cat and a bear) to Dena in 2020. She told me to rewrite the board book as a picture book, give the bear and cat (at the time there was a cat) more personality, flesh out the story, give it a story arc, and she'd look at it again. Yikes!
It took my mind until February 2022 (two years!) to rework it for her. You can't rush creativity. And, basically, it was a complete and total redo.
Also, at that time, I was into writing metafictional tales, as I didn't see any for Jewish children. Once the title popped into my head at 3 a.m., I just kept writing. (A metafictional tale is where the narrator speaks directly to the reader, telling the reader what to do and what not to do.)
And because the narrator is speaking to the reader, the child in my story is gender neutral. I wanted any child to feel like the narrator is speaking directly to them.
Q: What do you think Carles Arbat’s illustrations add to the story?
A: His illustrations are magical--from the forest scenes covered in snow to the facial expressions on the bear--tears. . .
...and smiles! Here's Carles holding up my favorite illustration.
Q: The School Library Journal review of the book says, “This book is a superb way to introduce and reinforce the traditions of Hanukkah. Children see examples of kindness, tolerance, and acceptance of others, as well as the importance of sharing one’s culture and beliefs.” What do you think of that description?
A: The book is about including all kinds of people--and bears, in this case--into your holiday plans, even if they have differing abilities or different needs. I know that I feel a lot better when I go to people's houses and they tell me what dishes I can have and what dishes I can't have; I'm gluten-free and dairy-free.
At my daughter’s wedding, just recently, they had gluten-free and dairy-free signs for all food at the rehearsal dinner and the cocktail hour. It was very freeing and it felt good to be included.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: You can invite anyone to a holiday dinner / celebration, but understand their needs or things may not go as planned.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Cool Facts: Carles Arbat, the illustrator, lives in Barcelona, Spain, and is not Jewish, so the art director had to show him photos of: gelt (chocolate coins); latkes (potato pancakes); dreidels (spinning tops with Hebrew letters: hay, shin, gimmel, and nun); sufganiyot (jelly donuts); and show him what a menorah looks like.
Here's an illustration of the bear and child getting the menorah off a very high shelf.
Here’s the book trailer for Don't Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqp0vv-HkAc
I'll be reading this book and signing it on (You have to sign up):
December 7 at 11:00
The Howling Basset Bookstore
39 Old Turnpike Rd,
Tewksbury, NJ 08858
(908) 572-0757
To RSVP and sign up for the reading / signing:
https://www.howlingbassetbooks.com/event-details-registration/storytime-with-karen-rostoker-gruber/form
If you want a signed copy, and can't come to the signing, but need it shipped, call The Bookworm at: 908-766-4599
The book is now available:
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Invite-Bear-Inside-Hanukkah/dp/1681156423
http://www.karenrostoker-gruber.com
Rostoker-Gruber, Karen DON'T INVITE A BEAR INSIDE FOR HANUKKAH Apples & Honey Press (Children's None) $19.95 11, 5 ISBN: 9781681156422
Be bear-y mindful of whom you invite over for the holidays.
The young narrator's adamant: Don't invite a bear inside for Hanukkah! "You might think it's a great idea because it's always nice to invite guests inside to celebrate." If you do, you've been forewarned. Don't expect your guest to share the applesauce, latkes, or chocolate gelt. After the bear wolfs all the food down, the protagonist tells him to scram. Crying, the bear leaves. The child follows him to his den, only to see him lighting his own tree-branch menorah. How could the youngster have known that bears celebrate Hanukkah, too? The bear gives the child the menorah as a present. What a dilemma! The narrator doesn't want the bear to celebrate Hanukkah alone, and inviting him back inside is a big no. Then an idea strikes! What about an outdoor Hanukkah celebration-cum-barbecue for everyone--complete with the bear's menorah, latkes, and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts)? This sweet, good-humored story reminds readers that Hanukkah's meant to be celebrated with family and friends (if not necessarily ursine ones) and that it's important to accommodate guests. The rollicking, richly hued illustrations are cheerfully expressive. The human characters are tan-skinned and dark-haired; all appear to enjoy a delightful holiday celebration with their guest, even surrounded by snow. Backmatter notes that, per Jewish tradition, it's a mitzvah to make guests feel special.
A charmer about the special meanings of Hanukkah: joy, friendship, and inclusion. (glossary)(Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Rostoker-Gruber, Karen: DON'T INVITE A BEAR INSIDE FOR HANUKKAH." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A817945945/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a05b98e6. Accessed 5 May 2025.
Rostoker-Gruber, Karen MADDIE THE MITZVAH CLOWN Apples & Honey Press (Children's Picture Books) $17.95 4, 1 ISBN: 978-1-68115-523-4
Maddie, a young mouse, loses her shyness when she realizes that she can make others laugh.She sees the joy on Grandma's friends' faces as Giggles the Mitzvah Clown performs at their senior home. He includes Maddie as he makes balloon hats, entertains with juggling, songs, and dances, and, most importantly, talks with everyone. She asks: "Can shy mice become mitzvah clowns?" and Giggles assures her that anyone can learn. Initially mostly gray-toned, the paintings with collage elements include more and more bits of color as Giggles introduces Maddie to the tools of the trade (balloons, rainbow wig, red nose), changing to full color as she takes on her new role. She dons a red wig, pink tutu, and purple, squeaking shoes, names herself "Squeakers," and begins her visits. Her confidence buoyed by her activities in disguise, she finally makes the biggest change of all: she speaks as Maddie herself to Grandma's friends. What seems like a didactic story improves along the way as the engaging illustrations involve readers and Maddie's transformation takes place. In real life, young people (usually teens) can learn to be mitzvah clowns and bring joy to others in this special way. This activity and other ways to do good deeds are described in "A Note to Families," but no specific references are provided. Describing a different way to give back to the community (and help oneself), this cheery outing should not be confined to its Jewish context. (Picture book. 5-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Rostoker-Gruber, Karen: MADDIE THE MITZVAH CLOWN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A480921951/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=83b951e8. Accessed 5 May 2025.
ISAACS, Ron & Karen Rostoker-Gruber. The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah. illus. by Jackie Urbanovic. 56p. reprods. Behrman House. Feb. 2017. pap. $7.95. ISBN 9780874419375.
Gr 1-5--A haggadah is a guidebook for holding a seder, the festive meal associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover. Like any traditional haggadah, this volume reads left to right (Hebrew style). The text is in English, with prayers and songs in both Hebrew and transliteration. This "family haggadah" has activities, fun facts, and a humorous cartoon frog to engage young seder participants while providing lucidly written, thorough text for more advanced readers. The "Think About" prompts are well designed for encouraging intergenerational discussion. There are several nice touches, such as suggestions for vegetarian seder plate options (for example, substituting a beet for the bone), the inclusion of Miriam's cup along with Elijah's cup, and the replacement of the traditional, somewhat judgmental "wicked" and "simple" sons with gender-neutral "defiant" and "uncomplicated" children. The art features well-composed photographs of contemporary seder participants, reproductions of Passover art through the ages, and clear photos of ceremonial objects (seder plate, wine cup). It should be noted that no Jews of color are portrayed. A painting of African American enslaved people accompanies the lyrics of "Let My People Go," a spiritual that describes the biblical events of Passover, but without context it is somewhat out of place. VERDICT While child-friendly, this is not an introductory haggadah. It should be used at seders where the leader, at the very least, is familiar with the proceedings and the tunes to the songs. However, families will enjoy the thoughtful approach to holiday traditions offered here.--Heidi Rabinowitz, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Rabinowitz, Heidi. "Isaacs, Ron & Karen Rostoker-Gruber. The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah." School Library Journal, vol. 63, no. 2, Feb. 2017, p. 116. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A479405680/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=779599d0. Accessed 5 May 2025.
ROSTOKER-GRUBER, Karen & Ron Isaacs. Farmer Kobi's Hanukkah Match. illus. by CB Decker. 32p. Apple & Honey Pr. 2015. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781681155012. LC 2014027243.
K-Gr 2--In this humorous yet confusing modern tale, Israeli Farmer Kobi has invited a guest to dinner for the second night of Hanukkah. Her name is Polly, and the animals on the farm are hoping that she and Farmer Kobi will be a perfect match. They all join in to help him get ready, including polishing the menorah and choosing his outfit, but things do not go well. Polly cannot understand what the geese, goats, sheep, and donkey are doing in the house, even after Farmer Kobi explains, "I wanted them to meet you." The visit ends before dinner begins, with Polly storming out the door, much to the animals' chagrin. '"Her name was Polly Ester--she was a faaake,' baaed the sheep." The good news is that this story has a happy ending. The bad news is that this tale has almost nothing to do with Hanukkah, other than to provide a contrivance for Farmer Kobi to ask Polly over for dinner. Even the endnotes fail to mention Hanukkah, providing instead a discussion of the Jewish values of "Compassion for Animals" and "Welcoming Guests." VERDICT If only the title were Farmer's Kobi's Perfect Match, it might have been a better match for young readers.--Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
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Markson, Teri. "Rostoker-Gruber, Karen & Ron Isaacs. Farmer Kobi's Hanukkah Match." School Library Journal, vol. 61, no. 10, Oct. 2015, p. 68. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A431724747/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c2089ab7. Accessed 5 May 2025.