After my request on Hasafran, I received a number of suggestions for sustainablity related Jewish children's books. Linda Silver was particularly helpful with material from the Jewish Values Finder.
I'd love to hear, and I'm sure others would as well, how these books were used in environmental awareness programs for children in religious schools. I would be happy to share what develops here in Princeton once we get underway. Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me these ideas. Several people asked that I share all the contributions I received. How about ECOLOGY IN THE BIBLE, NAAMAH (NOAH'S WIFE) & DEAR CHILDREN OF THE EARTH? Sylvia Rouss has published a book entitled: God's World, published by Pittspopany, NY My daughter attended a program at the Teva Center in upstate New York. Perhaps they can help you with information. A favorite is The Never Ending Greenness by Neil Waldman, which combines the themes of the Holocaust, Tu B'Shvat, and planting trees in Israel. JPS recently published one (see info below). There are several Jewish organizations that focus on the environment. A Google search will get you're their names and information. You can contact them or print information. Burstein, Chaya M. The Kids' Catalog of Animals and the Earth. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2006. 212 p. $16.95. ISBN: 0-8276-0785-7. Pearl Plants a Tree by Jane Breskin Zalben could be tied into environmental awareness. There is a page about Tu Bishvat and other tree-planting holidays. From AJL's Jewish ValuesFinder Alexander, Sue . BEHOLD THE TREES. Illus. by Gore, Leonid. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, 2001. 48 pages. ISBN: 0590762117. Primary, Elementary Recalling the history of Eretz Yisrael from Canaanite times to the founding of the modern state, this beautifully designed book has splendid illustrations that mirror the rise, trials, and achievements of the Jewish people as reflected by Israel's trees. Biers-Ariel, Matt . SEVEN SPECIES, THE: STORIES AND RECIPES INSPIRED BY THE FOODS OF THE BIBLE. Illus. by Goodman, Tama. UAHC Press, 2003. 48 pages. ISBN: 0807408522. Elementary, Middle-School Attractively designed and illustrated but medicore in text, the main justification for this book is that it is useful for Tu Bishevat and for insight into biblical ecology. For each fruit or grain, there is some background information, a story, and a few recipes. Most of the stories are familiar ones, based on traditional lore. The recipes include no safety precautions in recognition of the fact that children may be using them. Biers-Ariel, Matt . SOLOMON AND THE TREES. Illus. by Kiss-Silverberg, Esti. UAHC Press, 2001. 32 pages. ISBN: 0807407496. Primary Drawing on legends about King Solomon and Jewish teachings about humankind's responsibility to care for nature, this serious, dramatically illustrated story stresses personal responsibility. Burstein, Chaya . KIDS' CATALOG OF ANIMALS AND THE EARTH, THE. Jewish Publication Society, 2006. 211 pages. ISBN: 1580232159. Elementary, Middle-School Like the other Kids' Catalogs, this is a useful and fact-filled compendium, written in Bur stein's sprightly style and illustrated, in part, with her appealing cartoons. The content is comprehensive, including factual information, history, lore, legend, short stories, experiments, crafts and activities, a mini-encyclopedia, and an index. The focus is on Israel and Judaism and the broad sweep includes ecology, zoology, and non-Jewish eco-heroes like Jane Goodall. Fine for Tu B'Shevat and any time of year. Cone, Molly . LISTEN TO THE TREES: JEWS AND THE EARTH. UAHC Press, 1995. ISBN: 0807405361 . Primary, Elementary A diverse collection of quotations expressing Judaism's concern for the environment, a few photographs, stories, comics, cartoon, blessings, and a glossary. Gershator, Phillis . HONI'S CIRCLE OF TREES. Illus. by Green, Mim. Jewish Publication Society, 1995. 32 pages. ISBN: 0827605110. Primary, Elementary Honi is a character from the Talmud, known for his magical circle-making powers and his love of trees. In this version, Honi plants carob trees, falls asleep, and wakes many years later to find that although all of the people he knew are long gone, he is privileged to see his trees bear fruit. Soft, expressive black and white illustrations enhance this classic story. LeTord, Bijou . NOAH'S TREES. 32 pages. ISBN: 0-06-028527-3. Preschool, Primary In a very simply written story tinged with sadness, Noah is portrayed as a steward of the earth who plants and tends trees until they grow into a huge forest. He intends to give the trees to his sons but God has other plans and obedient Noah must use his trees to make an ark. After the ark is finished and the animals have boarded, Noah carries in little green saplings from the trees he loved the most. The full page illustrations are impressionistic and child-like. With an environmental theme, this is a good choice for T u B'Shevat. Levine, Arthur . PEARL MOSKOWITZ'S LAST STAND. Illus. by Roth, Robert. Tambourine Books, 1993. 32 pages. ISBN: 0688107540 . Preschool, Primary A wonderful story, with equally wonderful illustrations, about an elderly woman who decides she will save the last tree on her street from being cut down. She and a group of ethnically diverse friends use their wiles as bubbes to divert an earnest young bureaucrat from his efforts at urban renewal. He is no match for them and the tree survives. Written in tongue-in-cheek style, this is a delightful look at not-so-passive resistance on behalf of the environment. Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg. NAAMAH, NOAH'S WIFE. Skylight Paths/Jewish Lights, 2002. 20 pages. ISBN: 189336156X. Preschool This is a board book abridgement of the author's earlier picture book, A PRAYER FOR THE EARTH. The wordiness of the original is here pared to the story's essentials, improving the pace while keeping the environmental message intact. The illustrations are of lesser quality because the color reproduction is not as sharp. Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg. PRAYER FOR THE EARTH, A. Illus. by Anderson, Bethanne. Jewish Lights, 1996. ISBN: 1879045605. Primary, Elementary Noah's wife comes into her own in this didactic story. He saves the fauna, she saves the flora, gathering and sowing seeds and replentishing the land after the flood. Like many of Sasso's books, this is wordy and written from an adult perspective, intended to deliver an unmistakable message to children. The illustrations surpass the story. A shorter, board book, version is called NA'AMAH, NOAH'S WIFE. Watson, Mary . BUTTERFLY SEEDS, THE. Tambourine Books, 1995. 32 pages. ISBN: 0688141323. Preschool, Primary A beautifully illustrated picture book that universalizes the immigrant experience by centering the story on a little boy who comes to New York's Lower East Side with a package of seeds given him by his grandfather, who has stayed behind. Grandpa has told Jake to plant the seeds in his new garden and "like magic, you'll have hundreds of butterflies." With no gardens to be found among the tenements where he lives, Jake gets the help of neighbors of various ethnic groups who live in his diverse community. He fears that the magic Grandpa has told him about won't work in America but after a hard rain, and to the neighbors' delight, butterflies do emerge from the window box that Jake has lovingly cared for. This gentle, quiet story imparts wholesome values without preaching. Zalben, Jane Breskin. PEARL PLANTS A TREE. Simon and Schuster, 1995. 32 pages. ISBN: 0689800347 . Preschool, Primary Inspired by Grandpa, Pearl plants an apple seed in a pot, waters its, and watches it grow. In the spring, Pearl and Grandpa plant the sapling and have a picnic. The characters are animals and the illustrations are delicate. Not a first choice for reading aloud to a group because of its small size but fine for individual use. Zolkower, Edie Stoltz. IT'S TU B'SHEVAT. Illus. by Johnson, Richard. Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2005. 12 pages. ISBN: 1580131271. Preschool This simple board book follows a little boy as he grabs a shovel, digs a hole and plants a tree on Tu B'Shevat. As we watch, the boy and the tree grow older; he and his family picnic under its shade and enjoy the fruit it bears. Illustrated in lush pastels and written in verse, the narrative flows easily. Very well done. Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
