Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom

by Sarah Aroeste, Ayesha L. Rubio (Illustrator)

Overview

With a Ladino word introduced on each page, a Sephardic Jewish family prepares to celebrate Shabbat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541542464
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Pages:	12
Product dimensions:	6.75(w) x 6.75(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD310L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 5 Years

About the Author

Determined to help bring Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) culture to a new generation, Sarah Aroeste, a Ladino singer, author, and cultural activist, draws upon her Sephardic family roots to present original Ladino songs and prose. She is the author of the Ladino board book Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom. She lives in Massachusetts.

Ayesha L. Rubio was born in Madrid, Spain, in February. She loved to draw, but unfortunately for her family, any surface was an empty canvas for her. Her grandfather taught her to draw on paper, instead of furniture or walls. Nowadays, she lives in London and works as an author and illustrator and occasional animator.

Editorial Reviews

"The art’s bold and cute, with a Pixar vibe, and I love the tiny Sephardic décor touches, like the framed hamsas on the wall." — Marjorie Ingall, Tablet Magazine

From the Publisher

2020-01-21
A Sephardic family celebrates the Sabbath in this bilingual English/Ladino board book.

It’s Friday night, and the family is getting ready for Shabbat. The text is mostly in English with a few italicized Ladino words and phrases, their meaning easily understood by the context, and a recurring “Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom!” on every double-page spread. While the mother prepares the meal, the father and children set the table. It is now time to “light the candles, las kandelas.” The mother does so with no covering on her head, indicating a comfort with a bending of some of the traditions. As the father holds an infant in his arms they sing some songs. When it is time to bless the wine and braided challah bread, the infant is settled in a highchair, and the mother brings the challah to the table. An illustration of the family group within a circle, emphasizing their togetherness, is accompanied by: “Bless the family, la famiya. / Enjoy the food, la komida.” In the last spread, the family is gathered close around the table, “Peace for all, para todos!” What sets this book apart is the use of Ladino, a Spanish-derived language of the Jewish Diaspora not widely spoken worldwide.

Families with a Sephardic background will particularly appreciate this book. (Board book. 1-4)

Kirkus Reviews