Take a peek inside
Written and illustrated by Rinat Hoffer
Translated by Noga Applebaum
Price: £12.99 / $15.99
Pages: 32
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781784382483
Subject: Children’s book introducing annual Jewish festivals
Highlights
- First English translation of a bestselling Hebrew book
- Beautifully illustrated in a unique style by an award-winning Israeli author
Description
Once it was a box of shoes, now it’s a box of memories.
When Shani is given new shoes for Rosh Hashanah, she doesn’t throw away the old shoebox, she reuses it for different Jewish festivals throughout the year – Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B’Shvat, Purim, Passover, Yom Ha’atzmaut, Lag B’Omer, Shavuot – until she gets new shoes on Rosh Hashanah again.
This is a clever and original story by an award-winning author and illustrator, which will inspire kids to get creative while learning about different festival celebrations. Perfect for 4 to 8-year-olds.
Author Details
Rinat Hoffer was born in 1966 and grew up in Holon, Israel. She worked for many years as an independent illustrator in daily newspapers (Ma’ariv, Yedioth), magazines and on advertising campaigns. She has illustrated many children’s books, including Once the Sea was Soup by Shira Geffen (Zmora Bitan 1993) The Cleanest Girl in the World by Chana Livneh (Zmora Bitan 1994), Such a Friend by Nira Harel (Hakibbutz Hameuhad 2002), The Magic Hat by Leah Goldberg (Hakibbutz Hameuchad 2005) and more. In I995 she began to write and illustrate her own books. Her works include Wardrobe of Poetry, Purple Monster, A Hedgehog With A Suitcase and Ayelet’s Cat. Her awards include the Gutman Prize for Illustration; the IBBY Award, the Ben-Yitzhak Prize of the Israel Museum, the Zeev Prize for Children’s Literature and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. Hoffer lives in Gedera with her husband and three children.
Reviews
“This book is a lovely way to talk to children about the calendar, discussing when each festival falls and how we make them meaningful. With enchanting text and detailed pictures, this is sure to become a family and classroom favourite.” – Angela Kiverstein, The Jewish Chronicle
“A wonderful story, full of imagination.” – Makor Rishon
Beautiful book with a powerful message, with the text and illustrations flowing along like instruments in a concert, each enhancing the other. The illustrations in this book take us a journey all on their own, with glorious end papers of baking tools… The perfect Shabbat book on so many levels.” – Sydney Taylor Shmooze
“Soft, lovely colored pencil illustrations accompany this timeless, well-told folktale, and a recipe for challah is included in the back.” – Association of Jewish Libraries
“Prepare to be enchanted! Shani’s Shoebox, a gently rhyming poem-story for Rosh Hashanah by the award-winning Israeli illustrator and children’s author Rinat Hoffer, will kick off the Jewish New Year on the right foot … [Rinat] Hoffer’s colurful, animated illustrations draw in readers with vibrant energy. In one scene, as the family prepares the house for Passover, Shani is on a stool cleaning a mirror and her dad is sweeping. It’s refreshing to have a children’s story that depicts a father in everyday roles more commonly associated with moms, like buying shoes for his kids and cleaning the house.”
“Bold, cartoonish illustrations serve the text well for this excellent read-aloud choice for homes and classrooms who want to talk about the holidays, the seasons, or recycling.” – Association of Jewish Libraries
“In addition to being a great story about resourcefulness and recycling, Shani’s Shoebox is also a wonderful way to introduce the Jewish holidays to your treasure keepers and will hopefully inspire creativity throughout the year!” – The Robinson Reporter
‘A wonderful story, full of imagination’ Makor Rishon