Rising

Intertwining the tactile rituals of baking with the religious and cultural heft of Shabbat, a contemplative paean to challah.

"I rise with Ima in the early morning," begins the child narrator of this intentionally paced work, and as the light streams into their kitchen, the two begin making dough for two loaves of challah, "steam from both our cups/ rising." Mixed-media illustrations from Vincent Guy, which incorporate patterns, printing textures, and spatters, show how challah-making can't be rushed. "Ima says everything grows in its own time," notes the child as the pale-skinned duo wait for the dough to rise, and Ima's hand on her own rounded stomach suggests that she knows whereof she speaks. An instructional inset that appears on a towel covering the dough shows how, after rising, it is turned into braids. And once it's in the oven, "rising with the heat," Abba helps Ima and the child prep the table for a festive outdoor Shabbat meal with guests. Drawing connections between kitchen chemistry, timeless traditions, and the pleasures of everyday life, Ludwig, making a picture book debut, establishes a subtly enthralling, adagio-like rhythm aptly punctuated with the word rising. Background characters are portrayed with a variety of skin tones. An author's note, challah recipe, and Hebrew glossary conclude. Ages 4-8. (May)

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