Modeh Ani: A Good Morning Book

The Modeh Ani is a companion to the award-winning Bedtime Sh'ma. This inspiring adaptation of the Mornings Blessings reminds us to appreciate the arrival of each new day and to be grateful for all of the miracles it brings. Intended for children ages two to seven, the Modeh Ani provides families with a calming and focusing ritual to begin their day with holiness, joy, and peace.

Modeh Ani is a sweet book that gently guides children through the morning blessings. Starting simply with Thank you God for waking me from my sleep, author Sarah Gershman carefully chooses concepts important to each prayer, then finds the perfect words to convey them to her young audience. The author has been previously successful with her first book, the Sydney Taylor Award winning, Bedtime Sh ma. While the majority of prayers are in English, The Shema is included in Hebrew as well, and is even transliterated for easy reading. At the end of the book you ll find longer excerpts from the Morning Blessings, in both English and Hebrew. Kristina Swarner s gentle pastel illustrations follow a girl as she opens her eyes to a brand new day. As the child goes through her morning we see all that she is thankful for: eyes that open, people that love her and an exciting world to explore with each new day. Many children s books become bedtime favorites, read over and over while parent and child snuggle together at the end of a busy day. Modeh Ani will create a special calmness in the beginning of the day, reminding us all to take a moment to appreciate the world around us. Preschool Grade 1. --MB, Jewish Book World, Winter 2010

Modeh Ani A Good Morning Book by Sarah Gershman helps young children start the day with a sense of serenity and gratitude for the beauty of the world. Caught up in overcommitted lives, it's easy to forget that we need to create moments of quiet gratitude that help us focus and connect us to what is essential and real. In a lyrical adaptation of the traditional Jewish morning prayers, Jewish educator Sarah Gershman has crafted a new book to help young children and the parents who read with them find those moments of wonder, serenity and connection to the divine. Modeh Ani A Good Morning Book (EKS Publishing, $17.95, hardcover; $10.95, paperback) features evocative illustrations by Kristina Swarmer. The book is a worthy companion to Gershman and Swarmer's 2007 book, The Bedtime Sh'ma, which won the Sydney Taylor Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries. --Jewish Woman Magazine, Fall 2010

What a joy to wake up to the uplifting words and pictures in this charming book! Sarah Gershman makes the Modeh Ani prayer approachable by using concrete words and meaningful concepts that young children can easily grasp. Kristina Swarner contextualizes the prose with colorful and nurturing illustrations. Together, Gershman and Swarner have created a beautiful book that transcends time and place. --Jewish Book World, Spring 2011