Tonight begins one of Judaism's High Holy Days, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. What I know about Yom Kippur I have gleaned from children's books, since I was raised a Christian. Most notably, the books of Eric A. Kimmel helped me understand the practice of seeking forgiveness and atoning for one's misbehavior. Christians seek forgiveness, too, with rituals like Lent, Advent, and the sacrament of Penance. Atonement just seems bigger on Yom Kippur.
To learn more about how Yom Kippur is observed, check out Chabad.org Printable Guide to Yom Kippur 2017.
In 2016, Pjlibrary, an organization that sends free books to Jewish children came out with a booklist about forgiveness. My favorite book on this list is Kimmel's Gershon's Monster.
Since I mentioned Eric A. Kimmel, I want to celebrate him in this Friday's Let's Not Forget!
He's still out there, gathering folklore and presenting it to children in engaging original ways. His earliest books dealt with Middle Eastern, Russian, Middle European and Jewish folklore. He then moved on the tales of Greek Mythology, and to the stories told about Anansi. Ukrainian tales, retellings of classic literature such as Don Quixote and Moby Dick, original tales that feature different parts of the world and of American history (The Erie Canal Pirates, anyone?), - there doesn't seem to be any portion of folklore, mythology or fable that Eric A. Kimmel can't embellish for young readers. His books highlight cultures from all over the world.
I loved the holidays when Kimmel could be counted on to retell or create holiday stories that came from world traditions. ALL the holidays! Almost EVERY year!
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| Hmm, I wonder where Eric A. Kimmel got the idea for this character? |
Visit his website to hear him read some of his more recent books, to ask him a question, to visit his blog and more.
Hurray for Eric A. Kimmel!
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