Written and illustrated by Miriam Nerlove, “Shabbat” is a fun and interesting book that I enjoyed reading. The purpose of this book is to introduce the reader to the elements, components, and overall concept of the Jewish holiday, Shabbat. To fulfill this purpose, the author used text elements, such as rhyming, word choice, illustrations, and references.
One text element that the author used to help fulfill the story’s purpose is writing the text in a rhyming style. The author tells this story through rhyme, from one page to the next, which gives the story a fun, easy to read pace. It also keeps the reader engaged because all the pages flow smoothly one after the other, which makes it easy to follow along with and gives the reader a better opportunity to comprehend the information presented. The author’s word choice also helps because the author uses simple language, printed in bold, which makes it easy for the reader to pay attention to, follow, and understand the concepts without getting confused. The author also incorporates Hebrew words related to Shabbat and provides explanations to help the reader grasp the information. For example, one page’s text says, “Hamotzi is the prayer we say before we eat the bread.” The use of Hebrew words throughout the story, along with the explanation of the words, gives the reader a better opportunity to understand the concepts and elements of Shabbat because the reader is presented with genuine Jewish holiday jargon.
Another element used to help fulfill the book’s purpose is the illustrations. The illustrations are brightly colored and are included on every page. This catches the reader’s eye and keeps him or her engaged in the story. Along with this, the illustrations also depict exactly what is happening in the text. For instance, one page’s text says, “At synagogue we greet our friends.” The illustration included on this page depicts a group of people outside a synagogue, talking and smiling. This text-illustration connection, created by the author, provides the reader with a more concrete explanation and understanding of Shabbat because the reader is able to visually see the holiday’s elements and components, which makes it easier to comprehend the information.
Lastly, the author includes a reference page at the end of the book. This page includes a detailed explanation of the Jewish holiday and provides the pronunciation of the Hebrew words that were used throughout the story. This gives the reader a more in-depth look into the Jewish holiday, which helps the reader better understand the holiday as a whole. The author’s use of these different text elements, including rhyming, word choice, illustrations, and references, truly creates a wonderful book that fulfills its purpose of introducing the reader to the elements, components, and overall concept of the Jewish holiday, Shabbat. ( )