New Week

A New Week is part of a collection of four board books for very young children, which also includes Start the Day, Shabbat Shalom, and Time for Bed. This particular title introduces children to the ritual of Havdalah, and the greeting said at the end of Shabbat - Shavua Tov.The story starts with two toddlers enjoying playing together on the day of rest. As evening comes, they say goodbye to the sun and Shabbat, and we learn that the week starts at this point, in the evening - a nice touch, as this fact that is not often made clear in children's books. We see the Havdalah candle lit, and we are asked the question, what greeting do we say to welcome this new week? That is when we learn the phrase "shavua tov" - a good week. The book ends with happy kids dancing, with Havdalah items in the background: the multi-wick candle, the spice box, and the wine cup.The illustrations are cheerful and vivid. The toddlers are not wearing kippot for Havdalah, indicating a modern take on the ritual. The book overall displays a happy and celebratory mood and gives a stage to the ritual of Havdalah with notable moments of coming together to greet the new week. The characters have a variety of skin tones, adding welcome diversity. The book is delightful, and does an excellent job of introducing Havdalah to little ones.– Rinat Hadad Siegel, Sydney Taylor Shmooze