Green Bean Books and the Jewish Literary Foundation are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Jewish Children’s Book Awards, celebrating new, unpublished works for young children based on Jewish history, values and tradition.

Picked from an array of talent, the 2025 winners are:
Joe Yaffie for his endearing story, Mensch The Mouse (the writing prize winner). Lihie Jacob for her playful interpretation of the Japanese proverb of the Three Wise Monkeys (the illustration prize winner).

They will both receive £1,000 and the winning story will be considered for publication by Green Bean Books.

The awards were judged by author and Director of Acquisitions at PJ Library Chris Barash; publisher of Green Bean Books Michael Leventhal; illustrator and writer Omer Hoffmann; Associate Curator of Illustrated Children’s Book at The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Orna Granot and writer, journalist and broadcaster Hepzibah Anderson.

“We were once again bowled over by the quality of the entries,” enthused Michael Leventhal. “Both Joe Yaffie and Lihie Jacob are worthy winners. I can’t wait for their works to reach a wider audience. They have set a high bar for what Jewish children’s literature and artwork should be.”

Writing prize winner – JOE YAFFIE
Joe Yaffie, 31, is a copywriter from Glasgow with an MA in Creative Writing from Brunel University. His story, Mensch the Mouse, is about the values of kindness and sharing, weaved around a Shabbat tradition.

“When I saw the competition advertised, I thought it had me written all over it,” he says. “When I was younger, there weren’t an awful lot of Jewish children stories available to me. I grew up in a small, tight-knit Jewish community in Glasgow that celebrated togetherness and I tried to emulate the values I grew up with in the story. I always wanted to be called a “mensch” – it was a great thing to be called – it meant you were a good person, a good egg. I thought it was a perfect name for a character and I liked the idea of a cute mouse living in a shul and it all just came together.

I’m really excited to have won the competition. My background is in copywriting and comedy so children’s writing is newer to me. Winning this has been really exciting – it’s brilliant recognition and has given me the encouragement to go ahead and write more.”

Illustration prize winner – LIHIE JACOB
Lihie, 39, is an Israeli illustrator living in Berlin, Germany. She took her pet cat, Rufus, as inspiration for her winning illustration, a feline interpretation of the Japanese proverb of the Three Wise Monkeys – “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” featuring three intertwined cats playing with a ball of wool.

“I feel elated to have won,” says Lihie who studied Visual Communications at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, before moving to Berlin 12 years ago. “I’m really honoured. I guess my focus has been on children’s illustration for a while now. I’ve illustrated children’s books both for Israeli and German publishers and even though I submitted my entry at literally the last second, I’d given it a lot of thought. I was trying to think, what does the proverb actually mean? To me, it meant people looking away from something that they’re seeing or hearing or not speaking up. For adults you could perhaps substitute the monkeys for corrupt politicians but for children you need a different subject matter. Then I saw my cat who is very fat and very lazy and I thought that was a playful way of communicating the idea to children – a cat putting his paws over his ears and in his mouth. Truly he
was my inspiration! I do a lot of humorous, cheeky and quite realistic illustrations – and I’ve drawn a lot of animals in my career!”

Praise for Joe Yaffie:
“In Mensch the Mouse, Joe Yaffie has created a children’s tale that is both sweet and charming,” says Chris Barash. “It’s a story that makes one smile, consider, and perhaps even look for ways to match the thoughtful actions of the furry creatures that inhabit the story and ultimately make a difference in the world. Who could resist?”

Says Hepzibah Anderson: “Mensch is a little brown mouse with a giant Jewish heart. Readers will be glad to follow him anywhere, and he propels Joe Yaffie’s plucky, pungently London-based tale of kindness and curiosity to an ending bright with hope. It’s a winner that feels at once timely and timeless.”

Adds Orna Granot: “This delightful story carries a light sense of humour. It is playful yet original, making it enjoyable for both children and adults. At its heart, the book explores the idea of what it means to be a “Mensch”, gently transforming the concept into a warm and engaging tale. What makes this story so special is the way it conveys its message, with charm and ease and without being didactic. It earns your affection effortlessly.”

“A gentle and heart warming story, Mensch shows us that a small hero can make a big impact,” says Omer Hoffman. “The tale moves with tiny steps to show that size is irrelevant when it comes to making a difference and touching someone’s heart, including ours.”

Praise for Lihie Jacob:
“Lihie Jacob’s winning illustration is a testament to the power of strong aesthetic choices and compelling storytelling,” says Oran Granot. “Her masterful use of color, composition, and shape creates an image that is both visually striking and emotionally engaging. Her illustration does not simply accompany the text—it enriches and expands it. The result is an illustration that does more than depict a scene—it invites us in, sparks our imagination, and makes the story come alive. Says Hepzibah Anderson: ”Lihie Jacob’s mischievous, meaningful illustration is impossible to resist, beguiling the eye and lifting the spirit with its expressive character and quirky palette. I can’t wait to see more of her work.” 

Adds Omer Hoffmann: “Lihie’s artwork offers us an intimate, inviting peek that calls us to play along and untie the simple thread that cannot be untangled. It plays, just like its subjects, the fine line between the mundane and the playful, the gentle and the dynamic, weaving gently all these to make a beautiful scene.”

“It is this level of talent and approachability in illustration that children’s books deserve and publishers seek,” says Chris Barash.

Two other writers were shortlisted for the writing award. They are Alison Green and Sasha Maisel. The two other shortlisted illustrators were Cecilia Caporlingua and Shachar Bechor. Our congratulations go to them all. Read press coverage here. 

For more details please visit greenbeanbooks.com or email info@greenbeanbooks.com and please note… the 2026 JCBA competition will open in April and will be the final year of the awards. Don’t miss your opportunity to take part!”