Antisemitism in the U.S. has been rising for years and is reaching historic levels. Jewish people face more hate crimes than any religious community in the US. While representing approximately 2.4% of the U.S. population (and 0.2% of the global population) they are the target of nearly 60% of all religiously motivated hate crimes—and that’s not even accounting for the almost 400% rise in antisemitic hate incidents in recent weeks.
The following children’s books by Jewish authors support education about disrupting antisemitism and affirm Jewish identity, contributions, and experiences. We also want to re-share the guides for countering antisemitism that were authored by the USC Shoah Foundation and partners Nickelodeon and The Conscious Kid in 2021. They were created to provide families and teachers with content and tools to talk with children about the discrimination and hate directed at the Jewish community and help children counter antisemitism in their daily lives. They include content on: Addressing Antisemitism and Its Root Cause; Antisemitism Today and Why It’s Important to Take Action; The History of Activism Against Antisemitism; Stopping the Stereotype Cycle; Standing in Solidarity with the Jewish Community; Action Steps for Families to Counter Antisemitism; and Recommended children’s books addressing Jewish culture and identity, antisemitism, history and contributions for ages 4-8 and ages 8-12.
One of the guides is geared towards Parents’ and Caregivers: Talk and Take Action: Parents’ & Caregivers’ Guide to Countering Antisemitism. And this guide is geared towards Educators: Talk and Take Action: Educators’ Guide to Countering Antisemitism
The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer by Marcie Wessels
Love the Wii, Nintendo, X-Box, and PlayStation? Meet the inventor whose work made them all possible: Ralph Baer, creator of the first home video game system! Today, the video game industry keeps growing, with ever more platforms available to fans. But how did the very first system come about? This picture-book biography of Ralph Baer, whose family fled Nazi Germany for the US, introduces kids to a great inventor AND the birth of the first home console. Using wartime technology, Baer thought outside the box and transformed the television into a vehicle for gaming; Baer's invention, the Odyssey, is a precursor to the Atari gaming system. Today, interactive systems like Wii and PlayStation are descendants of Ralph’s innovative “Brown Box,” making this award-winning inventor the true “Father of Video Games.” Ages 5 and up.
Osnat and Her Dove: The True Story of the World’s First Female Rabbi by Sigal Samuel
Osnat was born five hundred years ago – at a time when almost everyone believed in miracles. But very few believed that girls should learn to read. Yet Osnat's father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books. And she convinced him to teach her. Then she in turn grew up to teach others, becoming a wise scholar in her own right, the world's first female rabbi! Some say Osnat performed miracles – like healing a dove who had been shot by a hunter! Or saving a congregation from fire! But perhaps her greatest feat was to be a light of inspiration for other girls and boys; to show that any person who can learn might find a path that none have walked before. Ages 4-8.
The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson
A lyrically told, exquisitely illustrated biography of influential Jewish artist and activist Ben Shahn. “The first thing I can remember,” Ben said, “I drew.” As an observant child growing up in Lithuania, Ben Shahn yearns to draw everything he sees—and, after seeing his father banished by the Czar for demanding workers’ rights, he develops a keen sense of justice, too. So when Ben and the rest of his family make their way to America, Ben brings both his sharp artistic eye and his desire to fight for what’s right. As he grows, he speaks for justice through his art—by disarming classmates who bully him because he’s Jewish, by defying his teachers’ insistence that he paint beautiful landscapes rather than true stories, by urging the US government to pass Depression-era laws to help people find food and jobs. In this moving and timely portrait, award-winning author Cynthia Levinson and illustrator Evan Turk honor an artist, immigrant, and activist whose work still resonates today: a true painter for the people. Ages 4-8.
A 2022 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Winner
A 2022 Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Picture Book
Dear Mr. Dickens by Nancy Churnin
Eliza Davis believed in speaking up for what was right. Even if it meant telling Charles Dickens he was wrong. In Eliza Davis's day, Charles Dickens was the most celebrated living writer in England. But some of his books reflected a prejudice that was all too common at the time: prejudice against Jewish people. Eliza was Jewish, and her heart hurt to see a Jewish character in Oliver Twist portrayed as ugly and selfish. She wanted to speak out about how unfair that was, even if it meant speaking out against the great man himself. So she wrote a letter to Charles Dickens. What happened next is history.
2021 National Jewish Book Award Winner - Children's Picture Book
2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor for Picture Books
Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Younger Readers 2021
The Best Jewish Children's Books of 2021, Tablet Magazine
A Junior Library Guild Selection March 2022
The Best Children's Books of the Year 2022, Bank Street College
2022 First Place―Children's Book Nonfiction, Press Women of Texas
2022 First Place―Children's Book Nonfiction, National Federation of Press Women
A Perfect Fit: How Lena "Lane" Bryant Changed the Shape of Fashion by Mara Rockliff
Discover how the Lane Bryant clothing brand changed the way we buy clothes forever by celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes in this inclusive picture book biography of a Jewish Lithuanian immigrant with a brilliant eye for fashion and business. With stunning artwork from Sibert medalist Juana Martinez-Neal. Lena came to America with nothing but a dream—and an exceptional ability to drape and snip and stitch. She never used a pattern or a tape measure, but every dress she sewed turned out to be a perfect fit. Then, one day, a customer presented her with a new challenge. Could she design a stylish, comfortable gown for a body shape that did not meet the current standards of fashion? Lena took the challenge. Under the company name Lane Bryant, she became famous for flattering and modish clothing designed for all different shapes and sizes. The world of fashion would never be the same. Ages 4-7.
Hold On to Your Music: The Inspiring True Story of the Children of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek
Discover the inspiring illustrated true story about one girl's escape from the Holocaust to become a concert pianist against all odds, made popular by the beloved novel The Children of Willesden Lane. In pre-World War II Vienna, Lisa Jura was a musical prodigy who dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. But when enemy forces threatened the city—particularly the Jewish people that lived there—Lisa's parents were forced to make a difficult decision. They chose to send Lisa to London for safety through the Kindertransport—a rescue effort that relocated Jewish children. As Lisa yearned to be reunited with her family while living in a home for refugee children on Willesden Lane, her music became a beacon of hope for those around her. A true story of courage, survival, and determination, this compelling tribute to a gifted young girl has already touched the lives of many around the world. Ages 4-8.
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel
The true story of the young Jewish immigrant who led the largest strike of women workers in U.S. history. This picture book biography about the plight of immigrants in America in the early 1900s and the timeless fight for equality and justice should not be missed. When Clara arrived in America, she couldn't speak English. She didn't know that young women had to go to work, that they traded an education for long hours of labor, that she was expected to grow up fast. But that didn't stop Clara. She went to night school, spent hours studying English, and helped support her family by sewing in a shirtwaist factory. Clara never quit, and she never accepted that girls should be treated poorly and paid little. Fed up with the mistreatment of her fellow laborers, Clara led the largest walkout of women workers the country had seen. From her short time in America, Clara learned that everyone deserved a fair chance. That you had to stand together and fight for what you wanted. And, most importantly, that you could do anything you put your mind to. This picture book biography about Ukrainian immigrant Clara Lemlich tackles topics like activism and the U.S. garment industry. The art, by Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet, beautifully incorporates stitching and fabric. A bibliography and an author's note on the garment industry are included. Ages 4-8.
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy
Get to know celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—in the first picture book about her life—as she proves that disagreeing does not make you disagreeable! Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what’s right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice’s story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements. Ages 4-9.
Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard and Tanya Simon
A young immigrant from Nazi Germany receives small acts of kindness while exploring New York City in this heartwarming, timeless picture book, Oskar and the Eight Blessings. A refugee seeking sanctuary from the horrors of Kristallnacht, Oskar arrives by ship in New York City with only a photograph and an address for an aunt he has never met. It is both the seventh day of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve, 1938. As Oskar walks the length of Manhattan, from the Battery to his new home in the north of the city, he passes experiences the city's many holiday sights, and encounters it various residents. Each offers Oskar a small act of kindness, welcoming him to the city and helping him on his way to a new life in the new world. Richard and Tanya Simon's text matched with Mark Siegel's elegant illustrations makes for a wonderfully heartfelt read. Ages 4-8.
Winner of the 2015 National Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature
A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben
An interfaith friendship develops when Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, overlaps with the Muslim holiday of Ramadan--an occurrence that happens only once every thirty years or so. Moses Feldman, a Jewish boy, lives at one end of Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, while Mohammed Hassan, a Muslim boy, lives at the other. One day they meet at Sahadi's market while out shopping with their mothers and are mistaken for brothers. A friendship is born, and the boys bring their families together to share rugelach and date cookies in the park as they make a wish for peace. Ages 3-7.
Gitty and Kvetch by Caroline Kusin Pritchard
In this hilariously sweet story about an opposites-attract friendship, chock-full of Yiddish humor, a girl and her best bird friend’s perfect day turns into a perfect opportunity to see things differently. Gitty and her feathered-friend Kvetch couldn’t be more different: Gitty always sees the bright side of life, while her curmudgeonly friend Kvetch is always complaining and, well, kvetching about the trouble they get into. One perfect day, Gitty ropes Kvetch into shlepping off on a new adventure to their perfect purple treehouse. Even when Kvetch sees signs of impending doom everywhere, Gitty finds silver linings and holds onto her super special surprise reason for completing their mission. But when her perfect plan goes awry, oy vey, suddenly it’s Gitty who’s down in the dumps. Can Kvetch come out of his funk to lift Gitty’s spirits back up? Ages 4-8.
Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail by Lesléa Newman
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award, Welcoming Elijah by celebrated author Lesléa Newman, unites a young boy and a stray kitten in a warm, lyrical story about Passover, family, and friendship. Inside, a boy and his family sit around the dinner table to embrace the many traditions of their Passover Seder around the dinner table. Outside, a cat wonders, hungry and alone. When it's time for the symbolic Passover custom of opening the family's front door for the prophet Elijah, both the boy and the cat are in for a remarkable surprise. Ages 5-8.
Tía Fortuna's New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey by Ruth Behar
A poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment. When Estrella's Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía. A lyrical book about tradition, culture, and togetherness, Tía Fortuna's New Home explores Tía and Estrella's Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage. Through Tía's journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is. Ages 4-8.