Jewish people bless their houses and remind themselves of the commandments and promised blessing of God by affixing a little, decorative container, called a "mezuzah" to the doorposts of their houses. Each mezuzah contains verses from the Torah (the Five Books of Moses, also known as the Pentateuch), including also the verses known as the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21), as follows:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. / And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth."

The mezuzah is believed to protect the household like the blood of the Passover lamb protected the homes of the Israelites on the night of their Exodus from Egyptian bondage. Jewish people touch the mezuzah as they enter or depart through the doorways containing a mezuzah, reminding themselves of the greatest commandment--to love God--and asking for the protection and blessing of God. Some Jewish people then kiss their own fingers that have touched the mezuzah, believing that the holiness of the mezuzah has been transferred to their hand. ( )

The book is introducing the ins and outs of Shema. This book was written to inform younger readers about the traditions and meaning behind the Shema and the Mezuzah. The illustrations in this book are very colorful and will hold the readers attention. This book is another great book to use to inform students about the customs of different religions.