Almost A Minyan Review

ALMOST A MINYAN
By LORI S. KLINE

ARTWORK BY SUSAN SIMON

Genre: Picture Book / Jewish Traditions

Date of Publication: April 5, 2017

Number of Pages: 40

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Will she be the one to take Grandfather’s place?

According to Jewish tradition, a quorum of ten adults is required for public worship. Almost a Minyan traces the story of a young girl whose father and grandfather are regular participants in the town’s minyan – until her beloved Zayde passes on.

Without him, it is even harder for her father to find enough people to make a minyan. Then one day, he brings Zayde’s tefillin to his eldest daughter. A striking new addition to the diverse books movement, Almost a Minyan shares important Hebrew terms and religious concepts through a compelling and beautifully illustrated story for children.

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**PRAISE FOR ALMOST A MINYAN:**

“A warmhearted introduction to coming-of-age in a worship community.”

Kirkus Reviews

“A story of inclusion, belonging and equality. I loved the modern, egalitarian, and traditional values shared in this meaningful story. This is a wonderful modern story for our children and grandchildren!”

Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray

Congregation Shir Shalom, CT

Founder of the Women Cantors’ Network

“A delightful read for girls and boys alike, this poetic family tale brings a wonderful sentimentality to daily Jewish prayers. Moreover, the beauty of the illustrations contributes additional warmth to this snapshot of Jewish life. A nice addition for all libraries and all ages.”

Rabbi Jimmy Kessler, DHL, DD

Congregation B’nai Israel, Galveston

The moment I started this book I was blown away by the art. Susan Simon has an incredible ability to bring warmth to every scene and bring a smile to my face. A beautiful symmetry and presence to every scene made this heartfelt tale a memorable one. As an amateur artist, I was really impressed by the different perspectives and subtle detail the artist included to capture the readers attention. The designs for each character and their expressions were unique and really showed their personalities. The greatest part is there is a signed giveaway for this book! I would highly recommend you enter and share this wonderful book.

The story itself is very heartfelt. In just a short amount of pages, you see the relationships of fathers, sons, daughters and people of faith. Before or after reading, there is also a helpful Glossary of words at the end for people not familiar with Jewish terms. I would actually recommend a phonetic spelling as well since this book is done in rhyme. However, it is easy to quickly get the hang of the phrases and really capture the story.

Almost a Minyan is the story of a young girl and her point of view. She looks up to her dad and his dedication, thinking of the day when she can become one of the ten adults that gather for prayer and rituals only performed in a minyan. With an unexpected loss, she struggles seeing her father become distant. That is until the day he comes to her early in the morning with a surprise. It’s through their faith, that she finds a part herself in the community and sharing a unique experience with her father. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience this book that has so much to offer.

Lori Sales Kline heralds from Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, PA, which hosts a wonderfully rich Jewish community that fueled her love for Jewish tradition, ritual and practice at home and at, “the shul.” Following her undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Texas in Austin, Lori chose to make Austin her home, largely due to the spiritual connection she felt in the close-knit Austin Jewish community. In her spare time, Lori enjoys camping, celebrating Judaism with her husband and son, and friends. She previously authored the children’s picture book, Josiah’s Dreams.

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Susan Simon’s illustrations feature expressive children, humor, sweetness, and imaginative whimsy. She has illustrated seventeen children’s books. Susan lives in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, with the saguaro cactuses, the coyotes, the Catalina mountains, and her husband, D.B., a music theory professor at the University of Arizona.

As a very young child, Susan both learned from and fell in love with the goodness and beauty readable in some children’s book illustrations. Without having words for it, she understood very young the power of a picture to inform deeply. When she’s not trying to give her all to share with children that kind of quality in her own work, she enjoys walking her two beloved rescued mutts – Oatcake and Peach – riding her giant green bicycle, and playing her growly old accordion.

She is a member of the Graphic Artists Guild, and is currently active in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator, serving as Co-Illustration Representative for Arizona.

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