Rivka's Presents

July 1, 2023

K-Gr 4-Rivka, her sister Miriam, and their parents live on the Lower East Side in New York City in 1918. One morning Rivka wakes up excited to start school, only to be told that her father is sick and will not be able to provide for the family. Her mother has to go out to work. Rivka will be responsible for watching her younger sister Miriam. Rivka is devastated but understands. She enlists the grocery shop owner Mr. Solomon, the tailor Mr. Cohen, and her neighbor Mrs. Langholtz to teach her; in exchange, she helps them clean and deliver items to other customers. In the end, her mother throws Mr. Solomon, Mr. Cohen, and Mrs. Langholtz a party thanking them for educating Rivka. This historical picture book is based on incidents during the 1918 flu pandemic where many people lost their lives due to flu, common cold, and tuberculosis. This book could be used with older elementary children in a unit on pandemics, or the history of cities, when crowding and illness could be a death sentence. VERDICT A unique book that would be a great asset to collections.-Annmarie Braithwaite

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* In 1918, Rivka lives with Mama, Papa, and Miriam, her little sister, in a New York City neighborhood populated by immigrants. Rivka is hoping to start school, but with her father quite ill, and her mother working in a shirtwaist factory to support the family, Rivka must take care of Miriam. Still determined to learn, she asks Mr. Solomon, the grocer, to teach her reading in exchange for sweeping. Later, Mr. Cohen, the tailor, teaches her addition in exchange for making deliveries, and Mrs. Langholtz, a neighbor, teaches her about America in exchange for helping the woman prepare for her citizenship test. When Papa recovers, Rivka thanks her three teachers and prepares to start school at last. According to Wallmark's informative note, this fictional story takes place on the Lower East Side during the 1918 flu pandemic. The appended glossary includes both English and Yiddish words. Simply told but unexpectedly moving, the narrative honors generations of immigrant families and communities that have done their best to educate their children despite language barriers and poverty. Created with gouache, colored pencils, and digital elements, the lively illustrations project a lyrical quality while capturing the look of the era and the sense of community that is vital to this endearing picture book.

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