Lesléa Newman, the acclaimed author of Heather Has Two Mommies and more than 80 other books, here brings us the joyous story of a Jewish boy (who happens to have two moms) excited about the naming ceremony for his new baby sister.
Zachary can’t wait to get to the synagogue for this special Shabbat service. Along the way, as the family walks through their racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood, various neighbors ask the baby’s name, and Zachary almost spills the secret—only to have one or the other mom interrupt with nicknames for her (“Little Babka” is my favorite) so her real name won’t be revealed until the ceremony. They then invite each neighbor to join them.
At the ceremony, the rabbi (notably a woman), finishes the service and invites the family onto the bima (the raised section at the front of the sanctuary), where all say blessings and Zachary announces his sister’s real name. It’s a poignant moment, lightened with a loud burp from the baby! The family and congregation then have lunch together, with all of the invited neighbors joining them.
An Author’s Note explains more about the tradition of a baby naming and how baby’s names are chosen.
As I wrote more than a decade ago, LGBTQ-inclusive picture books have largely shown culturally and religiously neutral families. Diversity of color has started to appear, but even those books don’t often explore the families’ various cultural and religious traditions. Kids may therefore see some important aspects of their families in these books, but others are left out. Newman, whose award-winning titles include books with LGBTQ characters, Jewish ones, and sometimes both, clearly understands this need for intersectionality. At the same time, she shows the Jewish family as part of a diverse community whose members honor and support each other’s traditions.
While the book is in prose, Newman’s poetic skills are evident in the spare, carefully chosen words and moments that are both lyrical and delightful. Illustrator Susan Gal (who also collaborated with Newman on Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail) adds lush watercolor illustrations befitting the vibrant community. All in all, it’s a standout book, and highly recommended.
One mom reads as White and the other as Black; Zachary has light tan skin and dark curly hair.
