Jewish American Books for Kids

There is joy in seeing yourself reflected in books and there is knowledge in reading other’s stories. This list is a selection of books featuring characters and cultures of Jewish American communities.

Updated June 24, 2026
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Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
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Jewish American Books for Kids

There is joy in seeing yourself reflected in books and there is knowledge in reading other’s stories. This list is a selection of books featuring characters and cultures of Jewish American communities.

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The tree of life : how a Holocaust sapling inspired the world
Boxer, Elisa
Paper Book
Hope triumphs over fear in this poignant and impactful true story of the Holocaust--a delicate introduction to World War Two history for older picture book readers. During World War Two, in the concentration camp Terezin, a group of Jewish children and their devoted teacher...
The remembering candle
Goldberg, Alison
Paper Book
A National Jewish Book Award winner, 2026 A Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Picture Book Title A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year for 2026 ★ "Alko's multimedia illustrations have the feel of a carefully compiled scrapbook, layering...
Goodnight Bubbala : a joyful parody
Haft, Sheryl
Paper Book
This festive parody reimagines a classic bedtime book as a lively Jewish family gathering complete with bubbies and zeydes--a perfect gift or read aloud that includes an exclusive latke recipe by Ina Garten, TV's Barefoot Contessa!   In the small blue room there was a...
Many things at once
Hiranandani, Veera
Paper Book
In this poignant picture book about family and belonging, the child of a Jewish mother and a South Asian father hears stories about her family history. Sometimes she doesn't feel Jewish enough or South Asian enough, but comes to realize you can feel--and be--many things at once. AN...
Good night, Wind
Marshall, Linda Elovitz
Paper Book
When the exhausted winter wind throws a snowy tantrum, it finds comfort in the friendship of two young children in this lyrical retelling of a Yiddish folktale illustrated with stunning collage. Winter Wind worked hard all season long blowing away leaves,
Talia and the very YUM Kippur
Marshall, Linda Elovitz
Paper Book
When Grandma begins her preparations for breaking the Yom Kippur fast, Talia mishears the holiday as "Yum" Kippur, setting off a topsy-turvy series of misunderstandings.
Something Sweet: A Sitting Shiva Story
Newman, Leslea
Paper Book
From award-winning author Lesléa Newman comes a shiva story about grief and remembrance, Jewish culture and connection, and learning how to support a friend. Something Sweet is a beautiful and touching picture book for 5 to 8 year-olds that handles the difficult theme of...
Joyful song : a naming story
Newman, Lesléa
Paper Book
From the beloved pathbreaking author of Heather Has Two Mommies, comes a vibrant ode to family and community What a happy day! Zachary's baby sister will have her naming ceremony. In the temple! With his moms, the congregation, and all their...
Welcoming Elijah : a Passover tale with a tail
Newman, Lesléa
Paper Book
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award, Welcoming Elijah by celebrated author Leslea Newman, unites a young boy and a stray kitten in a warm, lyrical story about Passover, family, and friendship. Inside, a boy and his family sit around...
A poem for Peter : the story of Ezra Jack Keats and the creation of The snowy day
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Paper Book
A celebration of the extraordinary life of Ezra Jack Keats, creator ofThe Snowy Day. The story of The Snowy Day begins more than one hundred years ago, when Ezra Jack Keats was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. The family were struggling Polish immigrants, and despite Keats's...
Matzo frogs
Rosenthal, Sally
Paper Book
A Tablet "Best Jewish Children's Books" Selection When kind-hearted Minnie spills the matzo ball soup she was making for Shabbat dinner, the frogs who live in a nearby pond spring into action. They decide to save Minnie's Shabbat by making a new pot of soup while she is out--a mitzvah...
Nathan's song
Schubert, Leda
Paper Book
The Jewish immigrant experience in the early 1900s is touchingly and joyfully portrayed in this picture book based on the author's own grandfather. Growing up in a shtetl in Russia, Nathan is always singing, and when he hears a famous opera soloist perform in a nearby town one...
One small spark : a Tikkun Olam story
Spiro, Ruth
Paper Book
A young girl is inspired to make a difference in this thoughtful and lyrical exploration of the Jewish philosophy tikkun olam or repair the world. Imagine the world you want to live in. If it's not the world you see, will you create it? So begins a young girl...
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https://librarian.syndetics.com/syndeticsunbound/lp/1677.2117/list/8099

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