Big Bad Wolf’s Yom Kippur
by David Sherrin
illustrated by Martin Morón
Apples & Honey Press, 2023. 36 pages.
Review written January 5, 2024, from a library book.
Starred Review
Oh, this book is too much fun! Thanks to Betsy Bird’s end-of-year lists at her Fuse #8 blog for alerting me to this gem.
Now I always love a little fracturing with my fairy tales, so I’m delighted with this book about Yom Kippur even though I’m not Jewish. And what’s not to like about a holiday that encourages you to ask forgiveness and change in good ways?
So this is a story of Yom Kippur — as experienced by the Big Bad Wolf, of fairy tale fame.
At the start, his neighbor Raccoon asks forgiveness for rummaging through his trash and invites him to the synagogue for Yom Kippur.
Seeing all his neighbors in one place wasn’t a terrible idea. It would be like a lunch buffet for a big hungry wolf.
But Big Bad Wolf gets some surprises at the synagogue, including a bear hug from the rabbi (who’s a bear) and having to remind himself that he’s a Big Bad Wolf, so he shouldn’t enjoy it all too much.
But later encounters that day… with Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, and then Three Little Pigs, get the wolf acting much differently than the reader expects… with nice results. I won’t spoil it for you, but this book is delightful fun with a sweet message about being kind.
If your family celebrates Yom Kippur, this is a perfect book to introduce the holiday to your kids. If your family doesn’t celebrate Yom Kippur, this is a perfect book to introduce the holiday to both you and your kids. And silly fractured fairy tale fun, too!
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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