The Association of Jewish Libraries is pleased to announce that eight titles have been selected for its seasonal AJL Holiday Highlights list, celebrating Shabbat, Purim, and Passover. These titles are AJL’s picks for the best Jewish holiday children’s books of Spring 2025. Titles that are selected as Holiday Highlights exemplify the highest standards of authentic Jewish representation and holiday spirit in both writing and illustration. A committee of expert judges recommends these books for use by families, in schools, and in libraries. AJL hopes that the publishing world will look to the quality of these examples when creating new children’s books about Jewish holidays. Holiday Highlights titles are named twice a year, for the spring and fall publishing seasons. Submissions are being accepted now for the Fall 2025 list. Please ema holidayhighlig...@jewishlibraries.org <mailto:holidayhighlig...@jewishlibraries.org> to send digital review copies or to request instructions for sending print review copies. An annotated list of the Spring 2025 AJL Holiday Highlights can be found HERE <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://jewishlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Spring-2025-List-Holiday-Highlights.pdf__;!!KGKeukY!172D_BQL6xS6lpVh4DNMsSX3_vpwrjAE9Hd3AWO71vrBVRSGfulYieHqZv5EGNg_tElqorJHtZWeyyk6WbJHDhobTCQRj-Oi$ >. The committee has selected two books about the holiday of Shabbat, which begins every Friday evening and ends every Saturday evening:
~Sam and Charlie (and Sam Too!) Shake Up Shabbat by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Mike Deas, published by PJ Publishing (an early chapter book for ages 4–9) ~Shabbat Shalom, Let’s Rest and Reset written and illustrated by Suzy Ultman, published by Rise x Penguin Workshop (a board book for ages 0–2) The committee has selected one book about the holiday of Purim, which begins on the evening of March 13 and ends on the evening of March 14, 2025: ~Rachel Friedman Is Not the Queen by Sarah Kapit, illustrated by Genevieve Kote, published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers (a chapter book for ages 5–9) Five books were selected for the holiday of Passover, which begins on the evening of April 12 and ends on the evening of April 20, 2025: ~One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe by Dara Horn, illustrated by Theo Ellsworth, published by Norton Young Readers (a graphic novel for ages 8–12) ~The Curious Case of the Pot Roast: A Passover Mystery by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt, published by Green Bean Books (a picture book for ages 4–8) ~Roadside Seder by Anna Levine, illustrated by Naama Lahav, published by Apples & Honey Press (a picture book for ages 4–8) ~Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama’s First Presidential Seder by Richard Michelson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, published by Crown Books for Young Readers (a picture book for ages 4–8) ~Matzah Day by Charlotte Offsay, illustrated by Jason Kirschner, published by Holiday House (a picture book for ages 3–7) AJL’s 2025 Holiday Highlights judges are Judy Ehrenstein, Children's Librarian at the Montgomery County Public Libraries—White Oak Branch in Silver Spring, Maryland; Dina Herbert, Past AJL President, Alexandria, Virginia; and Melissa Lasher, writer and journalist, Nashville, Tennessee.
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