Alef-Bet
Hebrew is a very, very old language. It was spoken in ancient Israel many thousands of years ago, and has been kept alive for centuries by Jews and scholars. Modern Hebrew was the dream and work of a man named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. He made new words from ancient words and gave Hebrew speakers a way to say modern words such as ice cream, bicycle, and airplane.
This book is a child's introduction to modern Hebrew; but more than that, it is a joyous portrait of a very special family. Its heroine, Gabi, shares in the activities of five-year-olds everywhere; she dances, she pretends, she dresses up, she helps with the baby. Her exuberance about her own life bounces off every page, and the enthusiasm and warmth of her family surround her, and the reader, with love.
MICHELLE EDWARDS has written and illustrated over thirteen books for young readers including Stinky Stern Forever, winner of the 2006 Gryphon and Patterson Awards, and Chicken Man, winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Michelle was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and grew up in Troy, New York. She studied at the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem and later earned her MA and MFA in printmaking from the University of Iowa. She now lives in Iowa City with her husband and their three children.