March 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 3 When Sophie asks her grandfather what he would like for his birthday, Grandpop requests that she change the world by doing mitzvahs (kind deeds). She worries about how a small girl can change the big world, but the next day she tries, sharing her puppets with one classmate, teaching a clapping song to another, and asking a new student to play catch. Later that week, she recycles litter, waters a neighbor's plants, and helps her mother by playing with her little sister. Though her actions seem insufficient to change the whole world, Grandpop assures Sophie that they do and that she and her mitzvahs make him happy. Precisely worded and straightforward in approach, the quiet narrative is sensitively illustrated in a series of delicate mixed-media scenes. This picture book may have particular resonance in Jewish households, but its message is universal. Pair this volume with Stacy McAnulty's A Small Kindness (2021) and Marta Bartolj's Every Little Kindness (2021), which show the ripple effects of good deeds within a community. A gentle picture book on the power of kindness.
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April 15, 2022
PreS-Gr 3-It is almost Grandpop's birthday, but Sophie, a young girl with pale skin and red hair, cannot think of the right gift to give him. Grandpop, also pale-skinned, warmly tells Sophie that he genuinely wants nothing more than for her to change the world by doing mitzvahs, the Jewish commandment of doing good deeds. How can Sophie possibly change the world all by herself? Each day of the week she does many mitzvahs. She shares toys with her friends, helps her parents, and cares for a neighbor's plants. But is Sophie actually changing the world? Grandpop teaches Sophie that each mitzvah is an act of kindness that makes a difference, no matter how big or small. The pale, warm hues of Lewis's delicately stylized mixed media illustrations directly depict Wallace's didactic, matter-of-fact story. The illustrations are not engaging enough to independently generate additional interest in the story, and the picture book may generally leave readers feeling uninspired. The conclusion demonstrates an activity for young readers as they consider their own mitzvahs for making a difference in the lives of others. VERDICT An additional SEL purchase for libraries looking to supplement their collection of secular picture books depicting Jewish values.-Emily Brush
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 30, 2022
When Sophie asks Grandpop what he wants for his birthday, he gives her a tall order: for the week leading up to his birthday, he asks Sophie to change the world via kind deeds, or mitzvahs. Dubious about the impact she can make, she approaches the week with a new level of attentiveness and intentionality, and Lewis’s delicate mixed-media vignettes show Sophie modeling consideration and thoughtfulness in her day-to-day. Though Sophie continues to believe that “I didn’t change the world,” Grandpop begs to differ; as Wallace writes, Sophie has helped make it a “more giving, sharing, blooming, caring place,” and the pink-skinned, Jewish-cued family celebrates by crafting a flower-like record of her good deeds. Some readers may wish for a clearer explanation of mitzvah, including connection to the Jewish tradition, but the story effectively shows how every kind act creates its own momentum of good. Ages 3–5.