“The 72 Names of God for Kids,” by Yehuda Berg with Dev Ross (Kabbalah Publishing, 192 pages, $14.95)
Judaism recognizes many names for God, and this meditative guide is intended to draw young supplicants into a better understanding of themselves and the ineffable.
Like the original version for grown-ups written by populist Kabbalist rabbi Berg, this book compiles simple reflections and lessons, each paired with a different combination of Aramaic letters.The authors compare one name to changing the tune on the radio, another to the name invoked to bring telling dreams. One name inspires confidence, another invokes unconditional love.
The goal is to teach children to self-arrest destructive thoughts and deeds, an excellent pursuit albeit one that concludes only with the date on one’s headstone. Ages 4 to 8.
“The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog,” by Dave Barry (Putnam, 128 pages, $15.95)
Striking just the right balance between sentiment and insouciance, this slender, hip Christmas story recounts a semi-autobiographical story. The Shepherd is an affable preteen, chronically susceptible to pranks and immediately anxious about his little sister, the Angel, whose beloved but aged dog is dying.
Humorist Barry’s many fans will be unsurprised to learn that bat poop and dog drool, not in that order, are pivotal plot elements. Marketed as a grown-up novel but utterly appropriate for ages 9 and up.
“Hanukkah at Valley Forge,” by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Greg Harlin (Dutton Children’s Books, 32 pages, $17.99)
On a bleak December night during the Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington encountered a Polish soldier lighting a candle for the first night of Hanukkah, a holiday unfamiliar to the commander-in-chief.
The soldier explains the Israelites’ triumphant rebellion against the Greeks, and the miracle that ensued when one day’s worth of oil kept a menorah lit for eight days. Washington nods, drawing parallels with the American Revolution. Based on historic accounts. Ages 5 and up.
“Merry Un-Christmas,” by Mike Reiss, illustrated by David Catrow (HarperCollins, 32 pages, $15.99)
If you cherish “Walkin’ Round in Women’s Underwear” and other Christmas parodies, or if you’re going nuts from hearing wee voices wish that Christmas was every day, you’ll love this book.
In Noelle’s tiresome, replete world, gifts appear each morning under the sparkling tree that stays up nearly year-
round, and the family groans nightly at the quotidian dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and five kinds of pie.
But one wonderful day of the year is Un-Christmas, the magical day when school is open, nobody poses for photographs or kisses annoying relatives or feigns gratitude for unwanted gifts.
The town mayor shuts off the power at night, allowing everyone to relish the starlit sky before everyone trundles off to bed, wishing it could be Un-Christmas every day. Ages 4 and up.
