Ellen BariBesprekingen

I found Ellen Bari’s book, “Jumping Jenny,” to be a nice story, although I can’t say that I really loved it or that I was fully engaged throughout the story. Through the concept of Tikkun Olam, a Jewish phrase meaning “repairing the world,” the author is able to convey the main message, which is to encourage readers to make a difference in the world. The incorporation of literary elements used by the author help to convey this message effectively.
Throughout the story, the author’s language and word choice made the book clear and well paced. For example, there is only a small amount of text on each page and the sentences do not contain difficult words. This allows the reader to effortlessly read the book and comprehend the message being given. Another element that contributed to the book’s message was the illustrations. Created by Raquel García Maciá, the illustrations complimented the text in a way that accurately depicted the mood of the story. Along with these elements, the author also uses a relatable story line to engage the reader and give them the opportunity to understand and comprehend the message. This is done through Jenny’s character. When Jenny was jumping outside, several kids hid behind a hedge while repeating “Ribbit! Ribbit!” The teasing that Jenny experienced made the story line and characters believable. This made it believable because it is very common for children to be teased for not having the same interests as their peers and it is also common for children to tease one another. The relatable characters and story line presented through the author’s use of literary elements, such as plot and dialogue help the reader to grasp the main message, which is to encourage readers to make a difference in the world.
Despite the fact that this story holds a great message for readers, there was one specific aspect I did not like. I did not like that the story seemed to depict African culture in a somewhat stereotypical manner. For example, at the fundraiser held by the school, children are seen in the illustration painting each other’s faces to represent African tribal face painting, which I found to be a little too stereotypical and sends the wrong idea to the reader. Also, on the same page, the illustration also depicts a child banging on drums, which I also felt was a bit too stereotypical for the story.
Although I was not fully engaged or interested in this story and found the depiction of African culture to be a little too stereotypical, overall, this was a good story that was enjoyable to read. The author and illustrator used literary elements, such as language and word choice and a relatable main character in order to effectively convey the message, which is to encourage readers to make a difference in the world.½

I had mixed feelings about the book “Jumping Jenny” by Ellen Bari. I liked the book because the characters were believable, as it is common for children to be teased for not having the same interests as their peers. The language was clear and well paced, while the illustrations were accurate in their depictions of the mood of the story. The one aspect of this book that I did not like was that it seemed to depict African culture in a somewhat stereotypical manner. For example, during the fundraiser held by the school, the illustrations depicted the children painting each other’s faces to represent African tribal face painting, while another child was banging on drums. I did like the main message of this book, which was to encourage children to give back to those around the world who are in need, but I might not choose to have this book in my classroom due to the fact that it was somewhat limiting of African culture.

This is a great book with a big message of determination. This story was adorable and full of lots of alliterations and descriptions of characters. The illustrations were huge and cheerful, and radiated Jenny’s energy. ‘These cafeteria catastrophes must cease.” This is just one of the cute alliterations through out the story. This book shows how a child can follow their passion to make a difference in the world.

Mom's choice award - no paperback

The Tattered Prayer Book, winner of The Mom's Choice Award, is a gentle introduction to the Holocaust for children ages 6-10. Ruthie discovers a secret about her father while looking through a box of mementos from “the old country.” As her father tells his surprising story, Ruthie learns a slice of Jewish history and the circumstances under which the family fled Nazi Germany. A burnt prayer book taken in secret from a destroyed synagogue after Kristallnacht offers solace to a young boy at the most difficult time in his life. Once safely settled in America, he tries to bury the prayer book along with his painful past. Many years later, sharing the story with Ruthie allows father to heal and daughter to grow.