It’s one of the most amazing sights to watch: the moment when the light bulb goes on in your child’s head and she realizes that the ABC’s she has learned can actually join together with each other to form words—and that she can actually read those words! C-A-T spells cat. R-U-N spells run.

At this point, the best present you can give your child is a book full of such words—a book that she can read all by herself.

And that’s exactly what Sat on a Hat is. It’s an adorable I-Can-Read-Myself book that tells the funny tale of a boy who gets his first black hat—and then loses it. Now it’s up to the boy to search all over town and try to find his missing hat.

The pictures are colorful and engaging, drawn by well-known illustrator Dena Ackerman, and the clever rhyming text, written by none other than Bracha Goetz, popular author of dozens of children’s books, will make your beginner reader grin with excitement as she sees: Hey, I can read this book all by myself!

Of course this book is not in the purview of first-grade children alone. Younger children who have not yet learned to read will enjoy this book, too, as you sit and read it to them.

So no matter what the ages of your little ones, Sat on a Hat is a wonderful way to invest in their enjoyment of books and reading in general. Keep in mind that frum I-Can-Read-Myself books are hard to come by, so it would be wise to go out and buy your copy now, before they all sell out…

Click here to purchase online.

Not for the fainthearted. I’d seen this warning on books before, and I’d never thought anything of it. Just another advertising gimmick, something to pull people to buy the book, right?

Now, Pillars of Smoke actually does not have this caveat printed on its cover, but if it did, I wouldn’t discredit it so quickly. Because this book is really not for the fainthearted! With Hamas terrorists turning out to have completely different identities, and supposedly faithful members of the Israeli security system turning out to be…well, not so faithful after all—and this in addition to the drama and emotion with which this book is so rich…believe me when I tell you to prepare for a roller coaster ride when you pick up this book!

Whether you’re one of those readers who crave an action-packed suspense novel, or you love an emotional saga in which human feelings, fears, and backgrounds are explored, Pillars of Smoke, which contains both elements, is a book that you will love. It takes thrillers up to the next level. Read it…you’ll see exactly what I mean!

Click here to purchase online.

Chanukah and Purim. Days of rejoicing, family get-togethers, and, of course, lots of good food. But, as we all know, there’s so much more to Chanukah and Purim than that. Have you ever wondered what our gedolim, those whom we look up to for hadrachah on all aspects of life, have to say about these sublime and spiritually charged days?

With Why We Rejoice, you no longer have to wonder about it: you can read our gedolim’s views on these Yamim Tovim right here in this book!

Yes, that’s right. In just one book, you’ll read fascinating and thought-provoking essays about Chanukah and Purim by many of the greatest roshei yeshivah, rabbanim, and maggidim of our generation: Harav Avrohom Ausband, Harav Yisroel Belsky, Harav Yitzchak Berkovits, Harav Malkiel Kotler, Harav Paysach Krohn, Harav Zev Leff, Harav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, Harav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, and many others. The essays are arranged for daily study for the weeks leading up to Chanukah and Purim, so that by the time these holidays are upon us, you’ll really feel spiritually prepared.

The book also includes a history of the Chanukah period and the Chashmona’im by Harav Berel Wein, as well as the laws of Chanukah and Purim. With Why We Rejoice, you’ll understand why Chanukah and Purim are such happy times for Klal Yisrael—and you’ll find yourself truly rejoicing, as well…

Click here to purchase online.

When you hear someone mention “Olomeinu,” does a nostalgic smile appear on your face? Does your mind begin to conjure up colorful, glossy pages, exciting covers, and some of the most terrific stories and articles you’ve ever read?

If you’ve answered yes to these questions, face it: you are an Olomeinu fan.

Don’t think you’re alone, either: to date, there are thousands upon thousands of Olomeinu fans out there. Three generations of Jewish children across North America and beyond were nurtured on the beautifully-presented information that filled the pages of Olomeinu. No matter what other reading material might have been around, Olomeinu was always so full of wholesome goodness, kids just seemed to gravitate to it. With writers like Rabbi Zevulun Weisberger, Rabbi Eliezer Gevirtz, Leah Dolinger, Leah Herskowitz, and Rena Kaplan, among many others, Olomeinu was a lot more than a magazine; over the years, it evolved into a real educational tool and became a mainstay of chinuch in the frum world.  

And though the monthly Olomeinu magazines are currently no longer in print, don’t think the Olomeinu days are over just yet… With compilations of Olomeinu stories being released as full-sized books, you can now continue to enjoy Olomeinu just as before!

In Have an Olomeinu Chanukah, readers of all ages will delight to find classic Olomeinu material—all on the topic of Chanukah. True stories, fictional ones, interesting tidbits and articles…it’s all in here!

Makes a great Chanukah gift for that avid reader and/or Olomeinu fan in your life!

Click here to purchase online.

Are your kids (or possibly even you yourself?) among those readers who turn to the comics first when reading a newspaper or magazine? What is it about comics that make them so enticing, so much fun to read? The pictures accompanying each quote? The characters that come to life as they express different sentiments to each other?

Whatever it is, comics are by far one of the most popular kinds of reading material. And now you can have an entire story book written in comics form!

The Scribe’s Brush is a moving and suspenseful story, written all in comics, that takes place during the times of the Spanish Inquisition. Readers will follow David’s journeys and travails as the young orphan struggles with the choices he is faced with in life. The plot is fast-paced and riveting, and though it is primarily geared to teens, adults will no doubt find themselves drawn to it, too.

Click here to purchase online.

My kids’ latest fascination is with—of all things— vultures.

We’re driving down the street and pass some innocent-looking bird standing on the side of the road. Immediately, the back seat of the car erupts in a heated discussion.

“That’s a vulture! I’m telling you, that’s a vulture!” my son says excitedly.

“No, it’s a crow,” insists my daughter.

“But just look at its beak and those mean eyes—it has to be a vulture!”

A third child pipes up, “I think it’s a turkey.”

Me? I just hide my grin and continue driving along, grateful for the free entertainment and conversation piece that that bird has just provided us with. After all, discussing whether the bird is a vulture or not is a lot better than some of the other squabbles known to have gone on in this car…

As a general rule, most kids are enthralled by the creatures living around them. Cats, dogs, worms, birds (can’t forget those vultures!)—the sight of them alone can easily provide hours of entertainment for a child. And if you expand your child’s horizons a bit more and take him to the zoo—well, what better thing could you have done for him? Elephants, lions, zebras, flamingos, ostriches…most children could spend an entire week just feasting their eyes on these creatures!

With this in mind, Israel Bookshop proudly presents yet another book in Efraim Harari’s wildly popular Exploring series. This one is called Exploring the Wild World of Animals and Birds. Besides for including a brand new slew of animals, none of which were discussed in any of Harari’s other books, an array of fascinating birds is showcased, as well. Take the gorgeous flamingo, or the intelligent parrot, or the majestic eagle, and the owl, and the crane…believe me when I tell you that you and your child will be absolutely glued to this amazing book, with the wealth of information and stunning pictures that it contains.

So, if you’re looking for that perfect Chanukah gift for someone who’s fascinated by Hashem’s creations, whether child or adult (don’t think we didn’t catch you poring over your kid’s Exploring the Wild World of Animals book after he’d gone to sleep…), you’ll definitely want to consider Exploring the Wild World of Animals and Birds!

Click here to purchase online.

Attention all loving Parents and Bubbies and Zeidies out there! Are you on the lookout for a Chanukah gift for your child or einekel that will be both enjoyable and inspirational; something that will keep him/her happily entertained but that will impart important lessons, as well?

We have something that fits that bill to the T: Small Giants, a beautiful book containing 10 tales of tzaddikim in their youth.

We all know how many amazing stories there are about gedolim once they already achieved rosh yeshivah/rebbe/leader-of-Klal Yisrael status. But what about when those gedolim were young? Stories about a tzaddik, when he was a child and the world did not yet know him as a tzaddik, are sure to make the deepest impression upon our little ones, as these are the stories they could relate to best. Stories like the one about the young Rav Shach, who, though abandoned and all alone in an unfamiliar and war-torn city, found comfort and happiness in the beis medrash, learning from his precious Gemara even as shells fell all around him. Or like the one about the young Rav Moshe Feinstein, whose father was makpid that his son not receive kavod for his learning achievements, in order ensure that his middos not be tainted.

These are the kind of stories that fill Small Giants—and that will fill your children with inspiration. Each anecdote is accompanied by gorgeous, full-color illustrations which help further bring the story to life. Also, each story includes a mini biographical sketch about the gadol in that story, so kids could get an even clearer picture of the great person that they’re reading about.

This is the kind of book you have to see in order to fully appreciate. Come check it out for yourself, either on our website or at your local Judaica store—you’ll see immediately why this book is such a rare and exquisite gem!

Click here to purchase online.

Validation. It’s the big buzz word floating around these days, especially in parenting classes. Children, we’re told, need to have their feelings validated. There is no such thing as a silly or inconsequential feeling, no “right” or “wrong” way to feel, and children need to be reassured of this; they need to know that we understand and respect their feelings, regardless of what we choose to actually do about them.

That’s not to say it’s easy to do this. When your child throws a tantrum because the Lego city he was working on was taken apart and put away when he left the room, chances are you’re not in the mood of validating his feelings, at least not right then. If you’re human, like me, you may even feel like telling him, “Stop making such a big deal over nothing!”

But—who said being a good parent is easy? So, you take a deep breath, mutter, “Validation. Validation,” to yourself, and then go and give your son a giant hug, telling him, “It’s hard when something we work so hard on, gets destroyed, isn’t it?”

Of course, you can always pull Why Things Come to an End off the shelf, too, and read your son a story about another little boy whose beautiful Lego palace got dismantled, and the way his mother dealt with it. After all, why re-invent the wheel and stress about how to deal with the situation, if you can use another mother’s perfectly good words of wisdom instead?

Why Things Come to an End is one of the 4 brand new children’s books in the Story Solution series. This series was written and illustrated by Esti Hess, a talented artist who is also a student of Bibliotherapy (a fancy way of saying a method that uses stories to heal hearts). The common denominator among all the books in this series is the fact that all of them (7 colorful stories in total) touch on basic childhood challenges and validate specific feelings that children often have, offering young readers a deep sense of being understood.

If you already have the first 3 Story Solutions books that were released last year, you’ll be excited to see these 4 new ones:Why Things Come to an End; My Baby Sister; When Mommy Is Tired; and The Day I Got Lost.

Click here to purchase online.

I had a well visit scheduled for my son the other day. Now, there are some well visits that are a breeze—you go to the doctor’s office with your child, wait the requisite half hour (or hour, or more) in the crowded waiting room, get called in by the nurse, get your child measured and weighed, and then wait another half hour for the doctor to come in. When he does, he pokes and probes your little one, asks some questions, uses his stethoscope, otoscope, and some other fancy doctor tools, and then wishes you and your child well and sends you home. Your child is smiling, you’re happy—shalom al Yisrael.

Then there are the other well visits. You know the ones I’m referring to. The ones where Shots—capital S—are involved. Those are another whole ballgame. Assuming your child knows what he’s in for at this visit, the entire waiting time is spent trying to calm and reassure your teary-eyed and frightened (or, alternatively, stubborn and angry) child, telling him it’s only going to hurt for a second, that vaccinations are really  for his good, that maybe he’ll get a treat afterward, etc., etc. The actual Shot-receiving experience is a torture session in and of itself—not just for your child who’s being jabbed with a needle, but for you, too, who has to hold said child down while the nurse tries to do her job. By the time you’re finished with that well visit, suffice it to say that you are not feeling too well yourself!

Well, this well visit I had with my son did involve Shots. And boy, was I dreading the experience.

But…I had underestimated the power of jellybeans.

That was my bribe for my son, you see. And wonder of wonders, as soon as he heard what he’d get in return for being a good sport about his Shots, he magically brightened up and actually cooperated at the doctor’s office!

Wow, I thought to myself. Look at that. Even getting Shots has a bright side for a kid—and how nice that I could use that to my advantage!

A new book by Racheli David, The Choice Is Mine: Sick at Home, teaches kids this all-important lesson for life: There is a bright side in every situation; it’s just up to us to find—and focus on—that bright side! Yes, even something as dreary as being stuck in bed with strep throat comes along with a silver lining. (To find out what that silver lining might be, you’ll have to read the book…)

As they say, attitude is everything. It’s such an important lesson—one that you can’t teach a child early enough. With this phenomenal book, you can impart the message to your little ones in a fun and geshmake way!

Click here to purchase online.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Throw out the typical question to a group of kids, and watch the answers—and their imagination—fly! Fire fighter…police chief…doctor…and was that “lion tamer” I just heard, too?

Now, what if you could put a Jewish spin on this question, and, while activating your kids’ imagination and getting them to think about the different jobs they could do when they grow up, have them contemplate along a spiritual angle?

Sheitel macher…shochet…sofer…these are some of the answers you might hear. (Sorry, I don’t know of any Jewish job that involves taming a lion just yet, though of course your child could always be the one to invent that job!) Ah—and here’s where you could listen and shep nachas about the Jewish profession chosen by your little tzaddik or tzaddekes…

That’s what Tools of the Trade, by Aviva Werner, is all about—getting kids to think out of the general box and along more of a Jewish angle when focusing on possible future jobs they might want to do. The book is fun and brightly illustrated, and sure to provide lots of entertainment and discussion with your kids, as they explore the various tools they would need for each “Jewish job.”

Click here to purchase online.