Judah Maccabee Goes to the Doctor: A Story for Hanukkah - Hardcover

Koffsky, Ann

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1681155222 ISBN 13: 9781681155227

Publisher: Apples & Honey Press, 2017

Synopsis

More than anything, Judah wants to be a good big brother to his baby sister, Hannah. He even uses his new Maccabee shield to protect her from danger!

On the last day of Hanukkah, during a visit to the doctor, Judah refuses to have his shot. Surely, his shield can protect him from germs, too!

About this title

About the Author:

Ann D. Koffsky is the author and/or illustrator of more than thirty books for children (including Frogs in the Bed: My Passover Seder Activity Book and Kayla and Kugel's Almost-Perfect Passover). She lives in West Hampstead, New York.

Review:

Judah is frustrated by his baby sister Hannah. She knocks over his block tower, spits out her food, and follows him around. On the first night of Hanukkah, Bubbe gives Judah a Maccabee shield and teaches him about another Judah who lived a long time ago and protected the Jewish people. Judah carries his shield everywhere and does his best to protect his baby sister from danger. On the last day of Hanukkah, Dad takes Judah and Hannah to the doctor for their annual check-ups. At first Judah doesn't want to get a shot, but Dad and the doctor convince him: '. . . a shot is just like a shield . . . It protects us from sickness.' Dad also explains that 'Hannah is too young for a shot. But if you get the shot, you ll be protected. You won t be able to get a new sickness, and so she won't be able to catch it from you keeping you both healthy!' So, just like his namesake, Judah is the best and bravest brother ever, getting his shot on his non-shield arm (and only crying a little).

The soft-edged, bright, and cheery paintings depict a contemporary family joyously celebrating Hanukkah with candles, latkes, dreidels, and presents but also in their every-day lives. It s refreshing to see Dad taking the children to the pediatrician and the doctor portrayed as a woman of color. Additional information about the Maccabees is appended along with information on the benefits of vaccinations. While the connection to Hanukkah is slight, the story can be enjoyed year-round to help young readers gain some courage before their shots. It can also be used to discuss Pirkei Avot 4:1: 'Who is a hero, a gibor? The one who conquers his own fears.'

Recommended for ages 4 to 8. --Rachel Kamin, Jewish Book Council

Here s an unusual twofer: a Hanukkah book that advocates for vaccinations. Brisk text and schoolroom-cheery illustrations introduce a boy named Judah, who s trying his best to be a hero to his baby sister, Hannah (he tries sharing his 'Choco-monster-delight cereal,' which she joyfully returns in a projectile spit). Just when he thinks he has the big brother role cinched, thanks to a toy Maccabee shield he receives for Hanukkah, Judah discovers that it s time for his vaccinations and in the presence of a watchful Hannah, he balks. Koffsky and Shipman take a while to get to the heart of their message, but when they do, it s perfectly pitched for their audience: being vaccinated, Dad explains, is just one more way we protect the people we love. 'Being the best and the bravest wasn t only an outside, shiny-shield thing,' Judah realizes. 'It was an on-the-inside thing, too.' Ages 4 8. --Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1681155222
• ISBN 13: 9781681155227
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Shipman Talitha