Shanghai Sukkah - Softcover

Hyde, Heidi Smith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1467734756 ISBN 13: 9781467734752

Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing ®, 2015

Synopsis

Fleeing the Holocaust in Europe, Marcus moves with his family from Berlin to Shanghai, where he doubts this unfamiliar city will ever feel like home. But with help from his new friend Liang, and the answers to a rabbi's riddle, Marcus sets out to build a unique sukkah in time for the harvest festival of Sukkot.

About this title

About the Author

Heidi Smith Hyde is the director of education of Temple Sinai in Brookline, Massachusetts. Her books include Feivel's Flying Horses, a National Jewish Book Award Finalist, and Mendel's Accordion, winner of the Sugarman Award.

Jing Jing Tsong has illustrated many children's books, and her work has been recognized by national publications including the Print Regional Design Annual and Communication Arts. Jing Jing lives on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Review

"Marcus and his family flee Nazi Germany and move to a Shanghai neighborhood packed with other Jewish families. Though life in China is vastly different, he is determined to make it a home, and it seems more possible when he befriends Liang, a Chinese boy from the neighborhood. As Sukkot approaches, Marcus is eager to build a sukkah, even though wood is scarce and he has no yard. With the help of Liang and his friends from yeshiva, Marcus builds a bamboo sukkah on his roof. Sadly, he cannot decorate it like he would in Germany, but Liang lifts his spirits by taking him to his traditional harvest celebration, the Moon Festival. Tsong's blocky, textured illustrations reveal Chinese and Jewish families peacefully coexisting, perhaps best illustrated by the bamboo sukkah decorated with, instead of fruit and vegetables, warmly glowing red paper lanterns. While it would have benefited from more details about both holidays, this heartwarming story of cultural exchange, closing with a note about the Jewish refugee population in Shanghai, is well suited to classroom use." -- Booklist

(Journal)

"Two boys - one Chinese, one Jewish immigrant whose family escaped Germany before WWII - team up to make the Chinese Moon Festival and the Jewish harvest holiday special for Marcus's first Sukkot in Shanghai. Cultural heritage information is woven seamlessly into the narrative as the friends play marbles, build a sukkah from bamboo, and march with a paper dragon and lanterns in a parade. The illustrations depict Shanghai and the Jewish community in their historical contexts, but the friendship, and a timeless theme, take center stage. Ages five and up." -- Foreword Reviews

(Website)

"In Shanghai's Hongkew district, two boys, one German-Jewish, one Chinese, share in the celebration of their two harvest holidays, Sukkot and the Moon Festival. Having fled Berlin with his family in advance of the Holocaust, 10-year-old Marcus is trying to make the best of their exile in the crowded Jewish neighborhood that's nestled in the bustling Chinese city. While most of his fellow yeshiva students keep to themselves, Marcus makes a new friend, Liang, bonding despite language and cultural differences. When autumn holidays approach, Marcus explains the tradition of building a sukkah, or traditional ceremonial hut, and happily accepts Liang's offer of help in its construction, though he's disappointed that the family's poverty means they can't use fruits and vegetables to decorate it. Seeing his friend's sadness, Liang invites Marcus to experience the Moon Festival, with its colorful red lanterns, moon-shaped cookies, and games. Liang's idea to decorate the sukkah with bright lanterns provides a welcome bridge between the two cultures. Tsong uses lithographs to create a layered, textured look, employing dark, drab hues to depict the poverty-stricken tenement district and vivid greens and red-orange tones for the sukkah and its lanterns. Hyde's straightforward text assumes basic understanding of the Holocaust, focusing on Marcus' experiences in Shanghai. While both holidays are but lightly sketched, themes of friendship and respect across cultures are compelling." -- Kirkus Reviews

(Journal)

About this edition

• Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing ®
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1467734756
• ISBN 13: 9781467734752
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Tsong Jing Jing