Ella's Trip to Israel

PreS-K—A young girl travels to Israel with her parents and shares her experiences with her stuffed monkey, Koofi. Together they enjoy mango juice on the plane ride, place a message in the Western Wall in Jerusalem, visit Tel Aviv, taste falafel, swim in the Dead Sea, and milk a cow on a kibbutz. Each time Koofi gets torn, dirty, or spilled on, the Hebrew phrase Eyn ba'aya, meaning "no problem," is repeated in a larger, pink font. The cartoonlike, gouache illustrations of smiling characters with enlarged oval heads are idyllic and cheerful but don't capture the sights, sounds, and unique essence of the country. Unfortunately, the bland text also fails to give readers any sense of Israel's location in the world; the people who live there; the languages spoken; or the country's customs, religions, rich history, or cultural diversity. Sylvia A. Rouss's Sammy Spider's First Trip to Israel (Lerner/Kar-Ben, 2002) and Charlotte Herman's First Rain (Albert Whitman, 2010) provide more substantial and authentic introductions for young children.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL