Product Description
New picture book shines a light on an important Jewish naming custom.
The Sephardic Jewish custom of naming a child after their paternal or maternal grandparent is depicted in a warm and vibrant story about a young boy who has many cousins with his name, Jojo.
"Jojo Nissim" is proud that he has many cousins who share his name. "Big Jojo" is his oldest cousin who can do lots of things like ride his scooter super fast. "Jojo-man" is another cousin, called so because he loves superheroes. His six-month-old cousin is called "Baby Jojo" because, well, he's a baby! Named after Papa Jojo to show how much their family loves him, all of the cousins love having dinner together at their grandfather's house on Fridays for Shabbat where they eat kibbe cherry, eggplant mehshi, challah, and other delicious customary food.
The author was inspired to write her story when her son Joseph, or Jojo, was young and wondered why he shared his name with many others in his family. As the tenth grandchild, he was not the first Joseph in the family, having been named after his grandfather. The resulting story playfully explains this custom.
I Share My Name is a delightful and authentic story of tradition and family that families and educators of young children will welcome for those that embrace this tradition and also for those interested in learning about other cultures and their customs.
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-Meet Jojo-a young Jewish boy who shares his name with several family members. Jojo explains that his middle name is Nissim, and everyone in his family calls him Jojo Nissim in order to differentiate from his relatives. Not only that, Jojo Nissim's oldest cousin is referred to as "Big Jojo," while his other cousin is called "Jojo-Man," due to his love of superheroes. Jojo Nissim describes each of his family members in detail, along with special activities they share and enjoy together. He also notes that the best part of sharing their name is their grandfather, who they lovingly call "Papa Jojo." The whole family gathers at Papa Jojo's on Friday evenings for Shabbat dinner, where they share a delicious meal and blessings. Back matter includes a note describing the Sephardic Jewish tradition of naming male children after their grandparents. Chehebar's text ranges from two to four engaging sentences per spread, while Galstyan's colorful illustrations capture the joy and love shared among all the members of Jojo Nissim's family. VERDICT Sure to prompt fruitful and rewarding discussions on the topics of family names and customs, this title will find a home in many collections.-Olivia Goreckeα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
About the Author
Children's book author Esther Levy Chehebar is a contributing writer at Tablet Magazine, where she covers Sephardic Jewish tradition and community. When her son, Joseph, or "Jojo," was born, as the tenth grandchild he was not the first Joseph in the family. Following the Sephardic Jewish custom, Jojo was named after his grandfather, and when he got older, wondered why so many of his cousins were also called Jojo. As a result, Chehebar was inspired to write I Share My Name, her new illustrated picture book.Chehebar thinks a great book is one that shares a story that needs to be told and that resonates with her young readers long after the book is closed. She hopes her readers feel connected to her story and learn something about a custom that may be new to them. When she isn't writing entertaining and informative children's books, Chehebar enjoys running outdoors, hosting meals, and spending time with her two children.Chehebar lives in New York with her husband, their kids, their Ori-Pei named Jude, and a couple of fish. I Share My Name is her debut children's book.
