Spiders, Frogs, Oh, My!

Spiders, Frogs, Oh, My: Author Sylvia Rouss Tries to Engage, Comfort Children

Children’s books by Sylvia Rouss lately have fascinated my toddler and me. As Passover approaches, we are reading Sammy Spider’s First Passover. And Sammy Spider’s First Haggadah will take center stage at our first night seder. The Littlest Frog, which pokes fun at the Pharaoh as frogs jump on him, has become a new favorite.

So how did Rouss, a Jewish preschool teacher from Los Angeles, get her start as a Jewish children’s author? Why create Sammy Spider, given Rouss is not a fan of crawling things? Read on for excerpts from my recent interview with Rouss. (Click here to link to the blog by Linda K. Wertheimer, The Jewish Muse)