A new adaptation of a classic Yiddish tale and folk song is among the winners of this year’s Sydney Taylor Book Awards for children’s books.
Awards also went to a graphic novel and a retelling of the Noah story for teens, the Association of Jewish Libraries said in a statement last week.
Oakland writer Joanne Rocklin’s “Fleabrain Love Franny,” geared for ages 8-12, was selected as a “notable book for older readers.”
“My Grandfather’s Coat,” written by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock, took the coveted prize in the younger readers category. The story is about a young girl who narrates the life of her immigrant tailor grandfather, all in rhyming verse and adapted from a traditional Yiddish song. As his handmade coat becomes worn, it gains a new life as a jacket, a vest, a tie and a toy for a grandchild.
“Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust,” by Loic Dauvillier, Marc Lizano and Greg Salsedo, won in the older readers category. The graphic-style novel, which features colorful, cartoonlike illustrations, reveals a grandmother’s story of how she and her mother were kept alive through the Holocaust with the help of courageous neighbors and families.
In “Storm,” a novel by Donna Jo Napoli that won in the teen category, a teenage girl stows away on Noah’s ark and provides a behind-the-scenes look at Noah, his family and the animals they cared for.
Six honor books and 16 notable books also won awards, which will be presented in June. The awards are named for Sydney Taylor, author of the 1950s “All of a Kind” series about an immigrant Jewish Amer-ican family. — jta