On June 21st "Everybody Says Shalom" received an award as an Honor Book for the Sydney Taylor Book Award. The Sydney Taylor Book Award, named in memory of the author of the All-of-a-kind Family series, is given each year for books that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience.
I was so excited about this. Shalom was truly a labor of love for everyone involved and since it was my first picture book, it's always going to hold a special place in my heart. Sadly, I wasn't able to attend the award ceremony in Charleston, SC, but Leslie, Shalom's author, got to go!
Here's Leslie at the Awards Dinner. I got a nifty certificate just like this one in the mail.
Shalom is such a special book! My Mom-in-Law is friends with a Jewish woman who runs a daycare and she is excited to share this book with her kids. I love being able to introduce children to a modern country that is also steeped in the history of many faiths. I will definitely be reading it to my daughter right along with her Bible stories to give her another perspective on this ancient land. For me, it was a wonderful experience just to do the research for the book.
Much thanks to the Sydney Taylor Award Committee for choosing our book. What a wonderful honor!
And for a little background on the image below, click here!
This is probably one of my favorite illustrations from Shalom! This is an actual mosaic you can visit in the ancient Roman city of Caesarea. I may have added the fish!