Not So Fast, Max Book Review

Not So Fast, Max: A Rosh Hashanah Visit with Grandma

Written by Annette Schottenfeld

Illustrated by Jennifer Kirkham

Published by Kalaniot Books: March 2, 2021

Review
T really connected with Max. In a hurry to eat treats? Check. Grandmother who visits from out of town? Check. Has gone apple picking with grandmother from out of town? Check. T also commented on the caramel apples Max makes and pointed out that he is interested in Max's recipe (included in back matter). We have some dessert plans now!

In Not So Fast, Max, the titular Max and his sister are excited for their grandmother's annual visit from Israel. She has come to celebrate Rosh Hashanah stateside, but the focus is more on time spent together picking apples than the holiday itself. This is no jump-on-a-holiday-bandwagon book, but rather a story about intergenerational connections, the beauty of New England in the fall, and the joy of a journey. Yes, Rosh Hashanah is in the subtitle and is the impetus for the grandmother's visit, but the characters' religion is only one aspect of the story. In a nutshell, the plot is the process of making caramel apples, beginning with a trip to the local orchard. Mr. In-a-hurry-Max's relationship with his grandmother grows during the time they spend picking apples and preparing the caramel apples, and he finds out that he can enjoy the process and not just the product.

This would have been ideal for T to read with his Grammy before they baked cookies when she visited – I wish I'd thought of this last week. It's a good book in its own right, and a great book to coincide with a grandparent visit, a trip to the orchard, or the celebration of Rosh Hashanah. Back matter includes the caramel apple recipe, the grandmother's apple cake recipe, an explanation of Rosh Hashanah, and a glossary of Hebrew words with a pronunciation guide.

When shopping for holiday books – I should say holy day – I've found so many along the lines of "Willy Wombat Waits for Santa" or "Millie Mouse Finds the Matzoh" where the depicted celebrations have become so far removed from the religious observance that I must question the aim in publishing it. I am really pleased, therefore, with the new Jewish publishing house, Kalaniot Books; their books feature characters whose religion is not necessarily a focal point, but certainly a vital aspect to their lives. Kalaniot's mission is "sharing the rich mosaic of Jewish culture and history with children." We've reviewed several books from this publisher and been pleased with each. Everyone agrees on the importance of seeing one's race, gender, and abilities reflected; I think it is no less important for children of faiths to see characters of faith. That's part of why this Catholic mom seeks out books with humans observing religious holidays.

If you are also looking for books with humans and religion, you might be interested in other books I've found. Click on the "faith" tag at the very bottom of this post or check out a couple of collections through the links below.