Great things come in… twos! Two new books to greet 5778 from the world’s 41,526th best-loved author

I confess, it’s been a rocky time, writing-wise.  Not that I’m not writing!  Actually, I’m writing more than ever, probably more than most writers do in a lifetime.  The problem is that most of it is your basic blah writing for clients, translating (from Hebrew to English), or essays for school.

(Did I mention I’m a full-time grad student???  More about that later…)

But somehow, despite having ZERO time to write the things I truly wish I was writing, I seem to have managed to finish not one but TWO book projects, and without further ado – I present… two gorgeous new books:

• Oma is 100:  "It's been almost a hundred years since Oma was born, but she doesn't want a party..."  When a young girl’s grandmother decides she's too old for  a birthday party, the simple act of crocheting a blanket teaches them both an important lesson about love, family, and belonging.  This isn’t specifically a Jewish book, in that there are no Hebrew words or references to Judaism – the message of honouring and learning from older relatives is one that resonates throughout every religion I know.  I feel very lucky to have found a terrific illustrator for this project, Lisa Larsen; she made it a pleasure to bring this story to life through its images.

Here are some pages from Oma is 100:

And now, to the second book…

• Caterpillar Yom Kippur:  "It's a lot of work, growing and changing every single day..."  When one lonely little caterpillar realizes there's probably more to life than eating, he starts wondering how he'll figure out what his purpose could be.  Is it possible to become a better caterpillar?  The answer is more wonderful than he could possibly imagine.  Explore the Yom Kippur observance in a fun, new way and greet the High Holiday season together, with a smile!  This is the SIXTH book in the Jewish Nature series!  Like other books in this series, it comes with an awesome Butterly Origami project.  (Note: if you click through and this book only appears in Kindle form, wait 24 hours and try again… it’s chugging through the bookworks as I write this.)

Here are a couple of pages from Caterpillar Yom Kippur.  By the way, one of my kids has already said people are too squeamish about insects.  I tried to pick a caterpillar species (papilio machaon, if you’re interested) that wasn’t too gross or hairy or slimy – I also had to pick one that turned into a pretty butterfly.  You’d be amazed how ugly some of the caterpillars can be, of even the most stunning butterflies.  And vice versa, some of the most beautiful caterpillars turn into gross- (or just plain-) looking butterflies.  (Maybe there’s a lesson in that somewhere, but I’m not sure where???)

Anyway, I hope you agree with this choice – because caterpillars have a LOT to teach us about Yom Kippur!

So… I bet you’re asking yourself, “Where does she get off bragging about being the 41,526th best-loved author in the world?” 

You were asking, right?

Well, if Amazon.com is the world, which it kind of IS when it comes to book sales, then this is my month in the sun.  September is the month when my beloved classic, Penguin Rosh Hashanah, tops the charts, appearing right up there with some of the favourite Rosh Hashanah books of all time.

And that means awesome statistics like THIS ONE, as of last night:

Considering that (as you see) my ranking often dips down below 200,000, being #41,526 is no small potatoes!

Yup, it’s a constant struggle, being an indie children’s book writer.  If you wanted to help out, I would definitely appreciate it if you’d share this post and/or like or recommend any of my books to families, shuls, or schools (or even buying copies to donate!).

Or, you know, just leave a comment to say “MAZEL TOV ON THE NEW BOOKS!!!” 

I can’t afford a huge launch party, so this post kind of is (in my mind) the launch party for the books.  Not sure if that’s sad or what, but I feel happy inside to have gotten this done and to be able to continue writing and publishing kids’ books, even at a slower pace than I usually like..

While I’m patting myself on the back… best wishes right back at you for a sweet, productive 5778.

Tzivia / צִיבְיָה

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