New Moon


Children - General
68 Pages
Reviewed on 04/23/2016
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Rose loved the moon. She loved how it shone in the sky and marked special occasions in the year. There was the season of Sukkot in the cool nights of autumn, Passover in the cool nights of spring, and Tu B’shvat, the festival of trees that marked the beginning of spring in Israel. Each special occasion gave Rose a different view of the full moon and it also provided different delicacies to enjoy. Best of all, Rose loved the New Moon celebrations of Rosh Hodesh. This was a time when the nights were very dark and there was only a sliver of the new moon to light the night sky. Although Rose still had lots to learn about Rosh Hodesh, she loved the way it brought women together to share in the wonders of the new moon, to sing and dance and laugh together. Rose also loved the special cookies that her mom made for Rosh Hodesh. Even the cookies were round, like the moon.

Author Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael has written an eloquent, tender-hearted story in New Moon for young girls to help them understand the Jewish traditions of the New Moon and Rosh Hodesh. Although this book was written primarily with Jewish girls in mind, the story teaches all young readers about how another religious and cultural group of people celebrate the seasons of the moon. The pictures beautifully complement the story and, as a bonus, the second half of the book is a coloring book so that the young reader can create their own art to celebrate Rosh Hodesh or just enjoy a story well told.