The Great Book of Birds

The author employs her own memories of community tashlich at the beach in this loving, charmingly illustrated description of Izzy and his family and friends as they gently apologize for misdeeds, grant forgiveness, and toss breadcrumbs into the sea as part of their Rosh Hashanah observance. The accepting vibe is vaguely Reconstructionist or post-denominational - the cantor is a woman, a congregant blows the shofar, some men wear kippot, a woman wearing pants plays the guitar, the leader of the congregation is called by his first name, Rabbi Neil, and Izzy's mother appears to be a single parent. Izzy compares tashlich to cleaning out his toy closet, an example of the wonderful way this story conveys to children, at their own level, a contemporary version of the healthy Jewish way we start fresh at the beginning of each new year. - SUSAN BERSON - DENVER, CO

Izzy is sitting in an Adirondack chair drawing some pictures instead of writing his list of things he is sorry for before Tashlich arrives. He enjoys this time of year because the season is beginning to change and loves to think about eating apples dipped in honey. Mmmmm! His sister Miriam is looking very pensive and is thinking about what to put on her list. If Izzy held up three fingers that would about do it for things he was sorry about in the past year. He slouched down in his chair and began to stick his fingers up in the air one by one. If he only did four rotten things, Tashlich would be a snap. He drew on Miriam's "forehead . . . while she was asleep." No big deal. He lost his mother's ring at the store. That might be a problem. He broke "Mrs. Bickerson's drum . . . the one they weren't even supposed to touch." Apologizing for that one would be difficult. Oh, there was one more he would have to deal with and that was going to be really hard to deal with. He told his friend Ben he wouldn't tell anyone that he sucked his thumb and then blabbed the secret. On Rosh Hashanah Izzy began to make his apologies and received some in turn. When they went down to the pier to he listened to Rabbi Neil talk about Tashlich and how it "is like cleaning your heart's close . . . a new year, a clean heart." Would Ben ever forgive him for what he had done? I enjoyed traveling with Izzy and his family to the pier to celebrate and "open their hearts" in forgiveness. This tradition encourages children to think about the negative effect they may have had on others during the preceding year and helps them learn about forgiveness. This story was charming and the watercolors were very appealing and meshed well with the story. My favorite parts were when each child totally accepted and forgave others for their misdeeds, usually forgotten by the time Tashlich rolled around. This is a beautiful book that would be a welcome addition to any classroom or homeschool library. L'shanah Tovah!

April Halprin Wayland has run a marathon, traveled Europe via backpack, worked on a kibbutz, managed a walnut farm, student at UC Davis, played the fiddle, been a corporate exec and even been a nanny to a celebrity. She has had a lot of experiences, and one of them is to see Tashlich in Manhattan Beach in Southern California. Here is a story based on this experience. The story open with Izzy's mother and sister making a list of things for which they are sorry. Izzy, with carrot colored hair thinks of 3 things. Now he must approach those three or four that he has wronged and ask for forgiveness. He asks his sister to forgive him for drawing on her face as she slept. No prob. He asks his mother to forgive him for losing her ring. Both mom and sis are also sorry for ignoring him or calling him a Big Snot. As the story continues, the family arrives at the pier with a guitarist and Rabbi Neil It is time for Tashlich, a time to symbolically dispose of past errors in moving water. They blow a shofar, sing, and throw bread crumbs into the Pacific. Izzy, the fish and the seagulls all love Tashlich. But wait. It isn't over. Izzy must approach his friend Ben and ask for forgiveness for error number 4...

Everyone makes "I'm sorry" lists before Taschlich, the symbolic casting away of sins into water. Author April Halprin Wayland offers a great introduction to the purpose and celebration of Taschlich. The protagonist, Izzy, is like a lot of boys. He loves "this changing time of year. Some day's sunglasses, some day's sweaters. Apples, honey, the sound of the shofar, and his favorite part of Rosh Hashanah: Tashlich!" But when he makes his "I'm sorry" list, he realizes that Tashlich is going to be more challenging than he first imagined. He is sorry for four things. For drawing on his sister's forehead, for losing Mom's ring, for breaking Mrs. Bickerson's drum, and worst of all, for promising he wouldn't tell anyone that Ben sucks his thumb--and then telling. In the careful text, Izzy makes his apologies. To his surprise, they also apologize to him, and he discovers an important element of friendship and community. New Year at the Pier will resonate with readers of all ages. It encompasses both the rituals and the heart behind the holiday. The text, inspired by Wayland's own Jewish community, sings with life and energy. Jorisch's watercolor and gouache paintings will make the reader smile. New Year at the Pier will be an excellent addition in religious school libraries and classrooms. It offers an excellent, thorough look at forgiveness during one of the most important holidays of the year. Ages 4-8 Sara Ahronson

Kiwi Magazine Review: Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and it brings with it the opportunity for people to make amends for their mistakes and start anew. The tradition of Tashlich where people 'toss' their mistakes into the water. To quote the book, "Tashlich is like cleaning your heart's closet. A new year, a clean heart."