2 of 2 copies available
When she grew up, Sarah gave herself a modern, boyish name, Sydney, just right for a woman who was going to forge her own path and continue to fight for a fairer world. When Sydney's daughter complained that it wasn't fair that there were no books about Jewish children like her, Sydney dreamed up a one-of-a-kind children's book called All-of-a-Kind Family, which is still beloved today.
"I am pleased my mother's stories allowed Jewish children to finally see themselves in books. I know she would have believed that all children today should have that same opportunity. May every reader of this story know how very special you are and, like my mother, truly one of a kind."—Jo Taylor Marshall
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
July 16, 2024 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9798892743334
- File size: 8459 KB
- Duration: 00:17:37
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
January 15, 2024
Growing up in a poor family of Jewish immigrants on New York’s Lower East Side, Sydney Taylor, born Sarah Brenner (1904–1978), has a strong sense of self and purpose. Dropping the “shy and old-fashioned” name Sarah at 14 in favor of “modern” Sydney, she immerses herself in an art scene intertwined with socialist causes, finds her soulmate in Ralph Taylor, and—when their daughter wonders why the books they read are only about Christian children—writes stories of her own girlhood. Subdued digital gouache drawings by Greene are largely reportorial, but if this picture book biography feels at times visually restrained given the passion and persistence of its subject, it’s also laudable for honestly portraying success as a long time coming: it was only after WWII, “when maybe the world is finally ready to celebrate all customs and cultures,” Michelson writes, that All-of-a-Kind Family—“the first Jewish children’s book to become popular with non-Jewish readers,” per a note—is published. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note concludes. Ages 7–10.
-