New Year for the Trees: A Chil­dren’s Read­ing List for Tu Bishvat

The con­crete­ness and sim­plic­i­ty of the tree theme makes Tu Bish­vat a won­der­ful hol­i­day to explore with chil­dren. For younger read­ers, try Sylvia Rouss’ Sam­my Spider’s First Tu B’Shevat (ages 3 – 8). Sam­my Spi­der observes a tree through the sea­sons, from plant­i­ng to flow­er­ing to los­ing its leaves. Sammy’s many ques­tions sug­gest to chil­dren that ques­tion­ing is wel­come. Kather­ine Janus Kahn’s paper­cut illus­tra­tions are delight­ful, recall­ing beloved pic­ture book artist Eric Car­le. Her vivid col­ors invite chil­dren to notice how the tree changes through the seasons.”

By Anna Caplan, the edi­tor in chief of Hon­ey­cake, a Jew­ish children’s mag­a­zine that aims to reflect the diver­si­ty of Jew­ish expe­ri­ences, iden­ti­ties, and fam­i­lies. A grad­u­ate of Har­vard Col­lege, she lives in Wyn­newood, PA with her hus­band and two children.  February 3, 2020  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE.