Take a peek inside
Written by Chris Barash
Illustrated by Maya Shleifer
Price: £10.99 / $11.99
Pages: 8
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781784386603
Book available from: November 2021
Highlights
Charming picture book for young children told in rhyme
Glow-in-the-dark book for bedtime
Teaches children about light and dark
Celebrates the different elements of Shabbat
Description
In this charming picture book for young children, the magic of Shabbat is celebrated through light.
As the sun goes down on a Friday evening and darkness descends, different sources of light welcome in the Sabbath: candles, lanterns, the moon and stars, fireflies, nightlights and then the next morning, the sunrise.
Told in gently rhythmic rhyming couplets and beautifully illustrated throughout, this is an enchanting exploration of light and dark, and a journey through the various rituals and delights of Shabbat.
Author Details
Chris Barash works for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and is a former Jewish day school teacher and principal. She is the author of more than a dozen books for children, including a series of Jewish holiday books.
Illustrator Details
Maya Shleifer is a multidisciplinary illustrator and designer. Born in the former USSR, she immigrated to Israel at the age of 16. After completing her studies at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, she worked as a designer and art director for various publications. She soon began showcasing her own editorial illustrations, and at about the same time, she started work on her first children’s books. Today her titles have wide recognition in Israel, and are exhibited in the country’s major museums.
Reviews
‘This gentle story of Shabbat is told through not only the prism of the candles we light on Friday night, but also the other sources of light that illuminate our way and comfort us, including a nightlight that comforts a child until morning. The book follows an unnamed child and his parents as they head out to a coastal Shabbat picnic. The soothing mostly gray and yellow color palette complements the rhyming text perfectly. With glow-in-the-dark ink (hold the pages under a flashlight for a bit first), this oversized board book will delight young readers.’ Rachel Fremmer, The Tablet
‘Lights in the Night, a brief, poetic meditation on Shabbat, is perfect for introducing children to the weekly serenity that is central to Jewish life. Alternating between impressionistic pictures of a family welcoming the Sabbath with black-and-white drawings that actually glow when held under a light, this book is both beautiful and accessible to young readers. Chris Barash’s rhyming text is eloquent, and Maya Shleifer’s pictures present people who are rooted both in their home and in the greater world… Shabbat is both a time apart from the normal world and a chance to enjoy its wonders uninterrupted by ordinary demands. Barash and Shleifer have captured this paradox perfectly for children and their families.’ – Jewish Book Council
‘Told in gently rhythmic rhyming couplets and beautifully illustrated throughout, this is an enchanting exploration of light and dark, and a journey through the various rituals and delights of Shabbat.’ — Jewish Book World