Big Sam: A Rosh Hashanah Tall Tale

2018 Sydney Taylor Notable Picture Book

"This book is nothing but pure fun from beginning to end, with a gentle environmental lesson thrown in". – Jewish Book Council

How does Big Sam make a GIANT-sized challah for Rosh Hashanah?

He digs an enormous hole in the ground to use as a mixing bowl. (It's still there today — we call it the Grand Canyon.

He adds mountains of flour, thousands of eggs, and other good things.

He whittles a massive California redwood tree into a mixing spoon. He flattens the hills of West Texas as he kneads the dough. And he bakes it inside Mount Saint Helens.

But when it's time to celebrate the holiday, the eagles call out, "Not so fast, Big Sam!" Rosh Hashanah is about fixing the world, and Big Sam has some MAJOR cleaning up to do.

Eric A. Kimmel is the author of more than a hundred books for children, including the classic Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. He is the only author to have won the National Jewish Book Award five times for The Chanukkah Guest, The Mysterious Guests, Wonders & Miracles, The Golem s Latkes, and Hanukkah Bear. The Association of Jewish Libraries has awarded him the Sydney Taylor Award for Lifetime Achievement. He lives in Portland, Oregon.


Jim Starr graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Illustration. He illustrates for numerous editorial, advertising, and corporate clients; his most recognizable image is the mill in the Pepperidge Farm logo. His work has appeared in Print magazine, the Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition, and the Washington DC Illustrators Club Exhibition. This is his first picture book.