Fans of the Sammy Spider series will be delighted with this Jewish ABC book that presents young children with various scenes of Jewish life that align with the English alphabet — all from the point of view of little Sammy Spider. As in all the previous books, the collage and cut paper illustrations (in Sammy Spider’s First ABC) are vibrant and creative and engage the reader with their bright colors and large capital letters. A typical verse per page reads: “A is for apple, a Rosh Hashanah treat. Josh dips it in honey, so tasty and sweet!” Sammy Spider appears on each page, which will be fun for young children to point out. He also makes a comment in a thought bubble, which includes using the letter in a lowercase form, which is printed in bold type, such as: “I stay away from sticky honey!” or “I cover my eyes during the blessing.” The text highlights holidays, Israel, and Jewish traditions, and follows a bouncy rhythm. But it occasionally adds a beat, which can be disconcerting to the adult reader. (“W is for wedding, when two promise each other, under the chuppah, to love each other”). Overall, this book is a lovely introduction to the alphabet and Jewish life for those preschoolers who are familiar with the Sammy Spider series.
Reviewed by Lisa Silverman, Retired director, Sperber Jewish Community Library Curator, Jewish Journal Streaming Guide in the ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES NEWS and REVIEWS, July-August 2022.
