A Cuban-Jewish girl and her abuelita transform a beloved dress into treasured symbols of community and tradition. A heartwarming tale of resilience, creativity, and celebration--stitched together with love, faith, and a little lo que sea. Romi lives with her abuelita in the small Jewish community in Santiago de Cuba. They don't have much here, but with a little imagination and lo que sea, they'll make it work-- so an outgrown dress becomes a blanket becomes a prayer tallis becomes a wedding chuppah and ultimately becomes a symbol at the center of this community's celebrations. Author, Jennifer Stempel has woven her own Cuban Jewish heritage into this heartwarming folktale. Readers will delight in Libi Axelrod's detailed illustrations which highlight the rich traditions of this unique community.
About the Author :
Jennifer Stempel is a classically trained storyteller and writer, who frequently taps into her mixed Cuban and Jewish heritage to weave tales that engage, inspire, and enlighten. Based in St. Louis, MO, Jennifer is married to her college sweetheart, and is the mother of two wonderful storytellers.
Review :
K-GR 3 A young girl uses the magic of sewing to give to her community in this artful picture book. As a little girl, Romi learns to sew from her grandmother, the seamstress in their Jewish community in Cuba. As she grows, her dress turns into a beloved blanket for a baby, then a shawl for Romi's friend Manuel. As the years pass, that shawl is made into a special chuppah for Romi and Manuel's wedding, until finally Romi uses it one last time to create something for the entire community. Friendship and love within the people are expressed in soft, comforting illustrations and in the way the different characters help one another. The text shares the passage of time with readers, describing the changes happening in Romi's life and the way she and her grandmother have used their sewing in magical and creative ways. An author's note provides more information on Cuba's Jewish community, with a glossary and recipe for ropa vieja. VERDICT Sharing a message of coming together as a community, as well as that of the love between grandmother and granddaughter, this picture book shows that something special can be created with some Cuban "lo que sea." A solid addition to children's picture book collections. Sharing a message of coming together as a community, as well as that of the love between grandmother and granddaughter, this picture book shows that something special can be created with some Cuban "lo que sea." A solid addition to children's picture book collections.-- "School Library Journal"
Reminiscent of the traditional folktale "Something From Nothing," a young girl learns to sew from her grandmother, carrying this skill through life as she uses remnants of her outgrown childhood dress for beautiful creations: a baby blanket for a bris, a tallit for a bar mitzvah, and a chuppah cover for her own wedding. Finally she enlarges a tablecloth for shared meals by enlisting everyone to bring whatever scraps they can. Although this is a land of hardship and scarcity, we experience the love and close dependence within this small remnant of a Jewish community. Here nothing goes to waste, recycling is of the essence.
Backmatter includes a glossary, map of the island, a recipe for a traditional chicken dish, and a brief history and a description of Jewish life in Cuba. The book is being published simultaneously in English and Spanish. The illustrations and the text immerse us in the Cuban Jewish community. Many Spanish expressions are interwoven skillfully, requiring no translation. We visit the narrow streets of Santiago de Cuba with open doorways giving us glimpses into daily life. Many smijas (smichcot) are enjoyed including a baby naming and bar mitzvah. While there are no images of Judaica there are candles being lit and a few kippot.
This book is a great resource for a study of small Jewish communities around the world, lovely for whole class, small group or individual reading. Especially fun for grandmother-grandchild sharing.--Suzanne Grossman "The Association of Jewish Libraries' Sydney Taylor Shmooze"
Romi has outgrown her childhood dress. Her arbuelita (grandmother), the town seamstress in Santiago de Cuba, practices a philosophy of waste not, want not. Materially poor, spiritually rich Jewish Cubans make do with what they have to create what they need, a practice encapsulated by the Spanish idiomatic expression lo que sea. So, the dress is transformed into a blanket for the brit milah of a neighbor's newborn baby. When the child doesn't need it anymore, Romi sews it into a tallit for Manuel's bar mitzvah. As they grow, Manuel and Romi become engaged to marry. Manuel's grandfather presents him with a tallit that has been in the family for at least four generations. So Romi converts the tallit into a chuppah.
As a married woman, Romi takes on more and more of arbuelita's role as a seamstress. When the tablecloth is too small for the growing community, the residents of Santiago de Cuba bring her scraps of material which she adds to the tablecloth to make a colorful covering for the community celebrations.
At the end of the book is a short history of the Jewish community of Cuba, a glossary of such terms used in the story as ke ermoza (how beautiful); m'ija (my dear); ropa vieja (shredded beef in a tomato sauce), and simja (Spanish spelling of simcha). The final page is a recipe for ropa vieja.
Written for children yet informative for adults, this book teaches the value of conserving household items and materials for future, repurposed use; incorporates some Jewish life-cycle events; provides some Spanish-language instruction; and introduces Cuban geography and history. What more can an easily-read children's book do?--Donald H. Harrison "San Diego Jewish World"
