Sydney Taylor Notable Books in the Picture Book Category

Libraries are wonderful havens for children to discover books in which they see themselves and learn about others. I hope this book falls into the hands of many children of different cultural backgrounds increasing the awareness of antisemitism as one type of discrimination.

Everybody’s Book: The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah | Words by Linda Leopold Strauss and illustrations by Tim Smart 

For Linda Leopold Strauss:

Everybody’s Book: The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah is the true story of a hand-painted Haggadah, a wedding gift to a Jewish couple in Spain around 1350. The Haggadah left Spain with the family when they were expelled by the Inquisition and wound up in Italy, then Sarajevo, Bosnia, where it was treasured not only by Jews, but also by the Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims that populated the city. Over the years it was in danger many times – a Croat Catholic director and the Muslim curator of the Bosnian Museum saved it from the Nazis during WWII, and it spent the war years hidden in a mosque high in the hills over the city. During the Bosnian War it was in the National Museum when the museum was bombed by the Serbs, but it was taken to safety, its whereabouts unknown for a long time until the Muslim president of Bosnia brought it out of hiding for a multicultural Passover seder which was celebrated despite war planes and bombs flying overhead. Ultimately it was restored by the United Nations and is now cherished by the whole family of nations as a symbol of “hope that kindness and understanding would be stronger than hate.” It was a book created for one family: it is now truly “everybody’s book.” I hope that with Passover coming, families might choose to read this book aloud at their seders – the history of this beautiful Haggadah should be of interest to children and adults alike, especially at a time when there is so much division in the world.

Tim Smart’s illustrations really enhance the story above. They are lively, colorful, true to the history of the Haggadah, and really pleasing to the eye. As one reviewer said, the illustrations “depict serious historical events and capture the beauty of the Haggadah, while remaining bright and child-friendly.”

The Association of Jewish Libraries is doing a wonderful job of promoting the many books published each year that depict the Jewish experience, books for all ages, fiction and non-fiction. I am very grateful to the Association for the extra attention it brings to my book (and others!) via the Sydney Taylor awards.

Mr. Katz and Me | Words by Mark Kornblatt and illustrations by Nanette Regan