Sharing Shalom - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

In the current climate, with so many people preferring division and "otherness," rather than unity, community, and cooperation, this picture book explores what happens when a community acts with solidarity in a caring and peaceful manner, accepting the individual qualities, skills, and gifts in each other.

Sharing Shalom

Author: Danielle Sharkan

Illustrator: Selina Alko

Publisher: Holiday House (2024)

Ages: 4-8

Fiction

Themes:

Community, Antisemitism, Diversity & Inclusion, Judaica

Synopsis:

A girl’s community joins hands to fight intolerance in this richly illustrated picture book that sings with hope for young readers.

Leila loves going to Hebrew school and hearing stories of mighty kings and quick-witted queens. Being Jewish is a part of her story, and learning Hebrew connects her to her ancestors. L’dor V’dor! From one generation to the next!

But when Leila’s synagogue gets vandalized, she isn’t sure what she wants. Something that used to make her feel special now just makes her feel different.

Then Leila’s classmates and community come together to repair the synagogue. This compassionate gesture makes Leila realize that everyone around her is different—and that’s a beautiful thing.

Lyrical text and gorgeous, textured collage art by award-winning illustrator Selina Alko enhance this uplifting story about honoring a diverse community. Back matter provides a springboard for age-appropriate conversations about inclusion and bridge-building between cultures. Perfect for fans of All Are Welcome and The Proudest Blue.

Opening Lines:

SOME kids were on the swim team.

Others took dance or practiced martial arts.

Leila went to Hebrew school at her synagogue.

What I Loved about this book:

I love the feel of the illustration done with acrylic paint and collage, including fabric and colored pencil, in an earth-toned palette of tan, greens, blues, and yellows. Selina Alko effectively uses various textured papers and subtle combinations of Hebrew text in the bushes, ground, sun, and synagogue. As well as an arch of kanji characters on the Jujutsu building's facade. The composite image is such a fun way to highlight individual after school activities.

Text © Danielle Sharkan, 2024. Image © Selina Alko. 2024.

Leila loves going to Hebrew school. Learning the tales of "mighty kings and quick-witted queens" and Hebrew, creates a connection between her and her extended family. I love Danielle Sharkan's analogy of a family being like links in a chain and Selina Alko's collage with music, stamps, and faded text woven around the links with the cameos of Leila's family.

Text © Danielle Sharkan, 2024. Image © Selina Alko. 2024.

One day, Leila and her mom arrive to discover that their synagogue had been vandalized. The windows shattered. Selina Alko's use of collage shards and shocked faces poignantly portrays the antisemitism and the emotions of the congregation (which is wonderfully diverse) with honesty and sensitivity. Her mother explains, "Some people think we’re different, and they don’t like that." And Lelia wonders "What’s so bad about being different?" As they grasp hands, their sleeves and the background are created from collaged bits of newspaper articles with headlines and stories from Jewish media. Even if you don't read Hebrew, the point is clearly made - this has happened too many times. I love that throughout the entire book the community is portrayed as widely diverse in age, ability, skin tone, religion, and gender.

Text © Danielle Sharkan, 2024. Image © Selina Alko. 2024.

Profoundly affected and flung into a bout of self-doubt, Leila decides not to be "different." She changes her hairstyle, hides her Star of David necklace, and tries to fade into her class. As she watches her classmates to discover 'normal,' Leila makes a discovery. Gorgeously shown by Selina Alko with a stunning collage image of the class.

The empowering, encouraging ending wonderfully ties together a bit of learning and revelation for Leila, her classmates, and the entire community. This book is sure to prompt a number of discussions about differences, belonging, "othering," and staying true to one's beliefs and identity. Based on a real incident (see the author's note), this important and unfortunately relevant book gently, but honestly, addresses hate crimes and the need for open dialogue and accepting and safe communities.

Resources:

• make your own community chain of paper people, a community chain collage, a some collage people you put together in a chain.

• what could you do in your class, or school, to celebrate the special uniqueness of each person? An event, a potluck, or something else.

• pair this with Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom by Callie Metler, Shirin Rahman, and Melissa Stoller, illustrated by Kate Talbot and One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov.

If you missed my interview with Danielle Sharkan, on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.