Picture Book Review: Almost a Minyan

What a sweet story accompanied by gorgeous artwork!  Almost A Minyan is as much the tale of a tween’s coming-of-age in her Jewish community as it is a heartwarming tale of  love, family, tradition and life coming full circle.

I’m not Jewish and a quick glance at the book told me we would need the included glossary, so that’s where my daughter and I started. The Yiddish and Jewish terms added a richness to the story and shouldn’t stop those not familiar with the terms consider this book. Instead, it provided a look into another religion and culture, and was a great jumping off point for conversation with my daughter.

The story is told in rhyming verse from the perspective of an un-named tween and manages to capture so many emotions: respect, devotion, sadness, joy and pride.  The rhythm of the tale would lend well to reading aloud – and for this, I’m a long-standing fan of print editions. This is a book that I would want to hold in my hands and turn the pages slowly as we explore the words and tie them to the images.

And speaking of the images: the illustrations are simply beautiful. Artist Simon provides richly colored pages that capture both the joy and sadness in the tale. The faces are beautifully rendered, the scenes simple but with enough detail to invite you to look more closely.

In a world where we all could use a little more understanding of each other, I would recommend this book for those not of the Jewish faith; for those of the Jewish faith, I think this book is a lovely homage to a huge moment in  coming-of-age.

Thank you to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and Sociosights Press for providing me with an electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.