#noodlenutsclassickidlit

We all love surprise and innovation, something new and unique, but sometimes things just work perfectly and are most beautiful by virtue of their simplicity. For over 50 years, and through multiple iterations, from the original to a lift-the-flap version, to bilingual versions in over 17 languages, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" (1967) by beloved duo Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle, has charmed children and parents with its repetitive refrain familiar to so many of us. Carle's incredible illustrations of colourful animals, slightly different from one edition to the next (a grey mouse appeared in the 1970 version, as did a pink elephant, and it wasn't until 1984 that a teacher took the place of the monkey at the end) have kept toddlers poring over its pages for decades, and likely will for the foreseeable future. A lovely staple that belongs on every baby's shelf. ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ #noodlenutsclassickidlit #brownbearbrownbearwhatdoyousee #brownbearbrownbear #billmartinjr #ericcarle #ericcarlebooks #ericcarlemuseum #ericcarleinspired #billmartinjrbooks #brownbear #toddlerbooks #rhymes #learningcolors #magicofchildhood #preschoolteacher #picturebook #childrensclassics #littlebookworm #growingreaders #preschoolreaders https://www.instagram.com/p/B84YeRfHAAX/?igshid=lhou8n1rou3x

Ohhh, separation anxiety! Whether it's not wanting Mommy to leave you at preschool, or begging Daddy to sit with you just a little bit longer at bedtime, toddlers are notoriously exhausting when it comes to the fear of not being within arm's reach of their adults at all times. Which is why I'm particularly fond of Martin Waddell's utterly adorable "Owl Babies" (1992), with its amazing, photo-realistic illustrations by Patrick Benson, for addressing those fears gently and with just a bit of humour. When three baby owls wake up to find their mother gone, they react in the ways any child would, with anxiety and self-comforting, and honestly, a little bit of weird, LOL. But as we know, Mummy always comes back! ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ #noodlenutsclassickidlit #owlbabies #martinwaddell #patrickbenson #martinwaddellbooks #babyowl #owlbaby #owlet #separationanxiety #bedtimebattles #startingschool #naptime #iteachprek #iteachpreschool #daycareteacher #daycarelife #motherhood #earlyyears #readingismagic #bedtimereading https://www.instagram.com/p/B8WokTsHHpx/?igshid=ai9309ypuk69

If you're a fan of the classic "Caps For Sale", you're absolutely going to love "Yossi and the Monkeys: A Shavuot Story" (2017) by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod, illustrated by Shirley Waisman, our final book for Shavuot, the Jewish holiday that starts tonight! Yossi, a caring husband and father, is very upset that he is too poor to provide his family the means to celebrate Shavuot with traditional foods, etc. His wife, a talented craftswoman, suggests that he sell some of the beautiful kippahs (skullcaps worn mostly by religiously observant Jewish men) that she makes to raise money for the family. But when Yossi runs into a mischievous monkey on his way to sell his wares, nothing goes exactly according to plan... A wonderfully playful holiday story! 🐒 🐒 🐒 #noodlenutsclassickidlit #yossiandthemonkey #AShavuotStory #JenniferTziviaMacLeod #ShirleyWaisman #JewishNoodlenuts #Shavuos #Shavuot #CapsForSale #JewishBooks #JewishKids #JewishFamily #HolidayBooks #Holiday #JewishHoliday #LearningAtHome #LearningCultures #inclusion #inclusionmatters #childrensbooks #EarlyLearning #TeacherIdeas https://www.instagram.com/p/CAyDFJTnYNR/?igshid=1xean9l0mb5ut

Passover is eight days long, which is a LOT of holiday to get through, especially with stricter-than-usual dietary restrictions. But while the first and last couple of days are "holy days", the days in the middle are what is known as "chol hamo'ed", regular days in which work and normal activities may resume. For many, since school is usually out, this is the best part of the holiday, and an excuse to go on family outings! In our family, that always meant going to the movies, with a little bag of kosher-for-Passover snacks because we couldn't have popcorn that week. "Matzah Ball: A Pass Over Story" by Mindy A. Portnoy, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn, is a fun book about a little boy's traditional Passover trip to the baseball game, to see the Baltimore Orioles play. Armed with "embarrassing" traditional foods that his mum has packed forhis lunch, but that his non-Jewish companions are eager to try, he soon deals with the challenges of not being able to eat what IS available at the ballpark ... and the solution that presents itself is quite a surprise. A lovely intergenerational tale that will feel familiar to traditional Jews on this holiday, and give a peek into our cultural experiences to others. ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ #NoodlenutsClassicKidLit #JewishNoodlenuts #NoodlenutsPassover #MatzahBallAPassoverStory #MindyAvraPortnoy #KatherineJanusKahn #passover #Pesach #pastime #baseball #baltimoreorioles #CamdenYards #passoverfood #pesachfood #JewishLife #JewishKid #EbbetsField #ChildrensBooks #kidsbookswelove #booksofig #booksofinstagram #childhoodmemories https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2YcUwHQaP/?igshid=dbys58zix5a2

As I've mentioned before, the ritual holiday meal for Passover, which this year happened last night and again tonight, is known as the seder, a Hebrew word which literally means "order". In this case, it is a reference to the order in which we recreate various traditions every year, each of them a meaningful reference to the story of our Exodus from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land of Israel. These include everything from the telling of the story itself; to eating vegetables dipped in saltwater (to remember the tears of our people); and eating a delicious mush made of apples, honey and wine called "charoset", meant to recall the mortar between the bricks that we were forced to use to build the pyramids. The seder is guided by a book called a "haggadah" - similar to a prayerbook, but with all of the stories, songs, prayers and rituals to be followed for the evening. There are dozens (hundreds?) of different ones, in different languages, reflecting different family and cultural influences. But sometimes it can be difficult for children to feel included when the haggadah is clearly written mostly for the grownups leading the seder. Once again, Sylvia Rouss and Katherine Janus Kahn have created something so special, then, with their "Sammy Spider's First Haggadah" (2007). Rather than the usual storybook, this is a simplified version of the seder for young children. It includes the story of the Exodus explained in terms accessible to little ones; Passover songs about the various rituals set to familiar tunes such as "London Bridge" and "Pop Goes The Weasel"; and all of the important prayers taught in English and Hebrew. There is more, but that alone should give you an idea of how wonderful this is! If you're looking to teach your child about this beautiful Jewish tradition, or looking for an accessible haggadah for young kids, I highly recommend this one! Available electronically, too (mine came from the library)! ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ #NoodlenutsClassicKidLit #NoodlenutsPassover #JewishNoodlenuts #SammySpidersFirstHaggadah #SylviaRouss #KatherineJanusKahn #Pesach #Passover #Haggadah #seder #sederplate #sedertable #pesachsameach #passovertable #learnaboutjudaism https://www.instagram.com/p/B-xJ58MnN8x/?igshid=kxz7hpd2gzrz

One more day until Passover, but still so much to learn, and so many wonderful stories! It's a good thing the holiday lasts for eight days... Today I thought we'd look at that quintessential food that everyone associates with Passover: matzah! Unleavened bread that appears (and tastes) much like a large cracker, matzah is central to the story of the Israelite slaves' exodus from Egypt. We're told that they left in such a hurry that they didn't even have time to bake bread for the journey. Instead, the dough they had prepared was baked by the heat of the sun on their backs, and became matzah. "The Mouse in the Matzah Factory" (1983) by Francine Medoff was originally illustrated by David Goldstein, but this edition was updated in 2003 with all-new artwork by Nicole in den Bosch. It's a wonderful story about how matzah is made, starting from specially supervised wheat fields, as seen through the eyes of a particularly curious mouse. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommend it as a great way to learn about both a traditional Jewish food and where our food comes from (hint: not the supermarket shelf!). My own copy was an e-book from the Toronto Public Library, so be sure to check yours to see if it's available to you online!! ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ #NoodlenutsClassicKidLit #JewishNoodlenuts #NoodlenutsPassover #TheMouseInTheMatzahFactory #FrancineMedoff #NicoleInDenBosch #DavidGoldstein #HowMatzahIsMade #matzah #matza #matzo #matzoh #LearnAboutJudaism #Pesach #Passover #Jewish #learningeveryday #learningnewthings #waldorf #reggioinspired #childrensbooks #tpl #jewishholiday https://www.instagram.com/p/B-sPzNLnLky/?igshid=ixbpys9lokww

Once again, it just wouldn't be a holiday roundup at Noodlenuts if we didn't include Sylvia Rouss and Katherine Janus Kahn's Sammy Spider series! Simple, colourful, visually striking, "Sammy Spider's First Passover" (1995) does a wonderful job of introducing preschoolers to the preparations and traditions involved in the Passover holiday, with some added basic intros to shapes as well. I love this series for making holidays accessible! ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ #noodlenutsclassickidlit #JewishNoodlenuts #NoodlenutsPassover #SammySpidersFirstPassover #SylviaRouss #katherinejanuskahn #shapes #learningshapes #sammyspider #Passover #PassoverSeder #Pesach #passoverfood #Jewish #alwayslearning #learnaboutjudaism #jewishlearning #familylife #picturebook #childrensbook #learningisfun #jewishkid https://www.instagram.com/p/B-kLckWH2WX/?igshid=xr195dmp8n4c

With all the upheaval in the world right now, you may have noticed that beyond the basic explanations of the upcoming Passover holiday, I've been doing my best to find books that will also help you and your kids explore some of the things they're currently facing. In light of a holiday that is all about upheaval and change, after all, it makes a lot of sense. Today's pick, "Nachshon, Who Was Afraid To Swim: A Passover Story" (2009), by Deborah Bodin Cohen, is one that I own, and has been one of my personal favourites for many years. For one thing, artist Jago's incredible illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and it's almost worth getting the book just for his richly coloured, distinctive depiction of Ancient Egypt. But even more than that, it's a beautiful story about bravery. In Jewish rabbinic tradition, Nachshon is the young man who was the first to enter the waters of the Red Sea as the Jews fled their enslavement in Egypt, even before Moses fully parted the waters. This tale gives Nachshon a backstory, as it were, as a well-liked and courageous young man determined to help his community, but whose ONLY FEAR is ... swimming. And when the stakes are highest, it is that one fear he will have to learn to confront. This is a fabulous book for any kid, both to learn more about Jewish history and the history of our exile in Egypt which led to the Passover story, and more broadly to discuss themes of courage and facing those things that scare us but may lead to something better. Available as an e-book. ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ #noodlenutsclassickidlit #JewishNoodlenuts #noodlenutspassover #nachshonwhowasafraidtoswim #apassoverstory #deborahbodincohen #jago #passover #pesach #jewishteacher #learnaboutjudaism #passover2020 #passoverstory #jewishhistory #montessoriteachers #learning #learningathome #montessorieducation #teachingkids #jewishbooks #Jewish #Judaism https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cpmaig31v/?igshid=1rwsnpjprfo2u