Rah! Rah! Mujadara

Everybody likes hummus, but that’s just one of the great variety of foods found in Israel among its diverse cultures

An introduction to the diverse people and foods of Israel for preschoolers, each page shows a headshot of a child eating. A red-headed boy eats hummus on bread; a girl of color enjoys mujadara, a classic Middle Eastern lentil and rice dish; another girl looks through the hole of a bagel, while another has just bitten into a falafel ball. Then there’s a boy with peyos (sidelocks) eating a boreka, a popular pastry usually filled with potato or cheese, a girl anxious to eat pashtida (kind of like a crustless quiche), and a baby being fed shakshuka (an egg and tomato dish). Finally, someone is eating malawach (Yemenite flatbread) and a boy is eating schnitzel (breaded chicken cutlet). The short rhymes ('It’s a pitzel of a schnitzel! Crispy chicken, finger lickin’) and the bright illustrations will make this a favorite, and it can be used with older kids for story time with themes of food and/or Israel. Bitei-avon (healthy appetite)!" — Chava Pinchuck, AJL Newsletter, Past chair, Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee; Editor, Jewish Values Finder, Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel—Magazine

Claudine Gévry's love for books and drawing naturally led her to what she calls “the best job on earth: children's book illustrator.” She has illustrated many books and is at her happiest when painting cute animals or lush plants. She lives between the mountains and the ocean in Vancouver, British Columbia.