The Sundown Kid: A Southwestern Shabbat

by Barbara Bietz, John Kanzler (Artist)

Overview

Recognized as a Sydney Taylor Notable Book Award for Young Readers and Mom's Choice Award

During the early days of settling the "Wild West", there were many Jewish families who became fearless pioneers seeking to create new communities in the desolate terrain. In this story, a young boy and his family move to the desert Southwest where they are the only Jewish family in their small town.
Despite keeping busy with chores, adapting to their new home among strangers proves challenging. Every Shabbat, Mama complains that there is “too much soup, not enough family.” The young boy has an idea to help relieve Mama’s homesickness and invites their new neighbors for Shabbat dinner. By honoring the Jewish value of inviting guests into their home for a meal, the family creates a sense of community in their new town.
August House Publishers offer free lesson plans for The Sundown Kid.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781939160942
Publisher:	August House Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/07/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	437,986
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	AD620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Author:
Barbara Bietz, creator of the website Jewish Books for Kids, is not only an accomplished author, she is also a magazine writer, educator, and respected book reviewer. Bietz has served as chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee for the Association of Jewish Libraries, director at Chyten Educational Services in Westlake Village, California, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Bietz currently teaches writing classes for adults and children. Barbara earned a BS and MS in Education at the University of Arizona. She lives with her family and their three naughty dogs in Oak Park, California. Illustrator:John Kanzler grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut in a house formerly belonging to William Steig’s and he currently lives on a small farm in Greenfield, Massachusetts with his wife Diane and his daughter Lorelei. They have several sheep and a llama or two. He has been drawing on things as far back as he can remember and is a completely self-taught artist. When he is not pursuing his art or spending time with his family on their farm, he generally pursues a crazy, eclectic range of interests, from astronomy to paleontology.

Editorial Reviews

2016-11-16
After moving to a town in the Old West, a young, white Jewish boy and his parents find celebrating Shabbat to be a lonely tradition.On the western frontier, Papa spends the week with his boy making his homestead ready for planting while Mama takes care of their adobe house. But on Friday, regular work is suspended to make ready for Shabbat. After lighting candles and blessing wine and challah, the family feels unsettled. "Too much soup," says Mama. "Not enough family." In the city back East there were always aunts, uncles, and cousins with whom to share a Shabbat meal. Reminiscing about the large, weekly family gatherings gives the boy the idea to invite their new friends and neighbors for some good old-fashioned chicken soup, thus making the next Shabbat a more joyous, communal affair. Bietz uses an oral storytelling style with repetitive phrasing to introduce the arrival of Shabbat, enfolding both details of the hardworking lives of homesteaders with Jewish cultural details. Clean lines and muted colors on a textured background illustrate a late-19th-century Western landscape and its mostly white residents (blacksmith Ricardo and his nephew, both Latino, are notable exceptions). Framed portrait drawings in gray tones portray flashbacks of the family's much-missed relatives and are superimposed collage-style on several scenes. Welcoming guests and even strangers to the dinner table is part of the Shabbat ritual, and it's celebrated nicely here. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews