Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story - by Linda Elovitz Marshall (Hardcover)

About the Book

Rhyming text invites young readers and their families to take stock of the happy times, the occasional regrets, as well as new friends made and new skills gained over the year in celebration of Rosh Hashanah.

Book Synopsis

From award-winning author Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrator Zara González Hoang comes Measuring a Year, an engaging picture book about celebrating Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year. They offer a chance to think about the present and the past, to "measure" a year and ourselves.

This sweet and thoughtful picture book, perfect for reading aloud, invites young readers and their families to take stock of the happy times and the occasional regrets, as well as the new friends made and new skills gained over the year. Happy New Year! Shana Tova!

"The watercolor, colored pencil, and digital artwork portrays a diverse cast of children experiencing a variety of memorable moments throughout the year . . . [a] sweet, accessible book." --School Library Journal

Includes an author's note featuring additional context about Rosh Hashanah and its customs.

Review Quotes

"​Hoang's warm and friendly colored pencil, watercolor, and digital cartoons have the inviting appeal of a scrapbook album, with detailed scenes full of relatable experiences, from learning to tie shoelaces to attending special community events like a wedding or bar mitzvah."--Booklist

"A gentle tribute to the hope and possibilities of new beginnings--in the New Year season, the opening of school, and even 'the start of each new day" all are opportunities to "push the 'reset' button, and begin (once again) to be better.'"--Publishers Weekly

"The cheery art, created with watercolor, colored pencil, and Photoshop, presents a lovely display of humanity--perfect for a new year, every year, and every day." --Kirkus Reviews

"The watercolor, colored pencil, and digital artwork portrays a diverse cast of children experiencing a variety of memorable moments throughout the year. . .[a] sweet, accessible book." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Linda Elovitz Marshall has been a sheep farmer, early childhood educator, anthropologist, and indie bookstore owner. Her books have been Sydney Taylor Notable Award winners, as well as Junior Library Guild, PJ Library, and National Science Teacher Association selections. Recent titles includeSisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood; Brave Volodymyr: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for Ukraine; and The Mexican Dreidel (written with Ilan Stavans). She and her husband divide their time between an Adirondack cabin and a New York City apartment. Zara González Hoang is the illustrator of several picture books. She grew up in a little bungalow in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. Surrounded by snow, she spent her days dreaming, doodling, and listening to the colorful stories of her dad's life growing up in Puerto Rico while navigating her place as a Puerto Rican Jew in a sea of Scandinavians. (She's still figuring that out.) These days, she lives outside of Washington, DC, with her husband, their kids, and a curly coated corgi named Ziggy.