God and Prayer
Since his first appearance (a very long time ago), Sammy Spider has experienced the panoply of Jewish experiences. He has lived through the entire year of holidays, attended a Bar Mitzvah, and even took a trip to Israel with his human “friend” Josh. In this book, the 29th in the series, he and Josh go through the cycle of prayers.
There are three sets of prayers here. The first contains the daily blessings, from Modeh Ani through Hashkiveinu. Next is Shabbat, including the Friday blessings and a Havdalah prayer. The second half contains a variety of brachot, from Shehechiyanu and Mi Shebeirach to prayers for Israel and for peace. Each page has a short preliminary rhyming passage connecting Josh to the occasion. The illustrations reflect the prayers beautifully. The text includes Hebrew, English, and transliteration. (Some of the English versions are more interpretive than others.) The shorter prayers are included in their entirety; the longer ones, including Birkat haMazon and Kaddish, have one line from the text.
It’s always wonderful to have a new Sammy book. The illustrations here are both descriptive and evocative of the occasions, making it easy to use. (Some parents may even have grown up with the series themselves.) This is a fine addition to a vital series. May it have a long and fruitful life.
Reviewed by Fred Isaac, Temple Sinai, Oakland CA for the Association of Jewish Libraries, News and Reviews, December 2020 – January 2021