Sophie's Monster Goes to Shul

by Sandy Asher, Book Buddy Digital Media (Read by)

Overview

"Why are you crying?" Sophie asks the imaginary monster in her closet. "You're not afraid of me anymore," the monster says. "No one else can see or hear me. I need a new job." He follows Sophie to breakfast, out to Bubbe and Zayde's car, and to the shul. At synagogue, Bubbe helps lead the service. "She's kvelling," Sophie says to the monster. "I want to kvell," he says, and they join in the singing. Then Sophie uses her imagination to write a story about her monster. Suddenly, he isn't scary anymore, and he's no longer sitting beside her. He's in the pages of her story and now everyone can see him.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765621127
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	24
File size:	39 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sandy Asher has authored over two dozen books for young readers, including With All My Heart, With All My Mind: 13 Stories about Growing Up Jewish, winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her husband, cat Friday and dog Gracie. Sandy and Gracie love visiting Lancaster Public Library as a KPETS Therapy Dog Team.

Alexandra Colombo has illustrated more than 200 books in countries around the world. She loves walking in nature and she loves animals, especially her dogs Kay, Ubi and Ary. She and her dogs work with a rescue dog unit, searching for missing persons in the woods and after natural disasters. She lives in Milan, Italy.

Editorial Reviews

"Recommended as a read-aloud for preschoolers and a warm introduction to one joyful aspect of Jewish life."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2024

Gr 2–4—Sophie's fluffy blue monster lives in her closet (and her imagination), but now that Sophie is no longer afraid of him, he needs a new job. "Oy, oy, oy!" cries the Yiddish-speaking monster, until Sophie takes pity on him. Finding no success for a monster in the kitchen, the car, or even outside, Sophie eventually brings her monster to shul, the synagogue where she, Bubbe, and Zayde (her grandmother and grandfather) go each Sunday. When the monster hears Bubbe kvelling ("feeling happy and proud/ because we're all here"), he's all in. After all, what monster borne of a Jewish child's imagination could resist learning Israeli dances and clapping along to Jewish songs? This playful story celebrates the daily life of a Jewish family and honors religious and cultural traditions in a joyful, digital palette that will appeal to lovers of the film Monsters, Inc. (Indeed, Sophie's monster bears a striking resemblance to Sully). And nods to Judaism aside, any young reader might find themselves kvelling at the notion of a once-frightened child empowered to help their very own ex-monster find a new activity. VERDICT Recommended as a read-aloud for preschoolers and a warm introduction to one joyful aspect of Jewish life.—Rebecca Kirshenbaum

School Library Journal