Review
------
"The neighbors on Lancaster Street aren't particularly helpful or friendly, until Jake decides to share his mulberries
with Mrs. Thompson. This small act of kindness generates a chain reaction of similar good deeds: Mrs. Thompson shares a
mulberry pie with Mr. Riley, who rescues a ball for the kids next door, who rake leaves for the disabled Mr. Lee, who
repairs the Cohens' computer, who donate a bike for Ashley. The result is a smiling, friendly community. The author lets
her characters make her point (the world is a much better place when people are kind), only introducing the Jewish term
for this behavior - mitzvot - at the end of the story. Melmon's upbeat illustrations are similarly nondenominational and
will help listeners visualize the story's key elements. Religious schools may want to pair this with Sylvia A. Rouss'
Sammy Spider's First Mitzvah (2014); public libraries and secular schools will find it equally useful for programs
focusing on character education." -- Booklist Online
--Website
"One good deed deserves another and another and another as a neighborhood comes together in a string of thoughtfulness
that begins when Jake shares mulberries with his neighbor. She in turn shares a pie, which leads to raked lawns, fixed
computers, and more and more acts of kindness that brighten the street and bring people together. The concept and
importance of the mitzvah is shown, not told, in this well-written and nicely illustrated book. Neighbors pay it
forward, one to the next, with a thought and an action. Because the term mitzvah is used only at the very end, this
story could be used by religious educators of other faiths to demonstrate the power of kindness. VERDICT A recommended
purchase for Judaic collections and others." -- School Library Journal
--Journal
"When Jake spontaneously decides to give some handpicked mulberries to the old woman next door, he begins a chain of
'pay-it-forward' events in his neighborhood. First, readers view a double-page spread of Lancaster Street, seen from the
vantage point of a mulberry-tree branch, with neat lawns and well-kept pets but no humans. 'Even on sunny days,
Lancaster Street seemed dark and gloomy. Neighbors did not smile at each other...or talk to each other...or help each
other.' Bright flowers and nesting birds belie the supposed gloom, but the streets are certainly empty of people. The
next page shows Jake in the tree. His mulberry mitzvah - declared so and defined as a good deed at book's end - inspires
Mrs. Thompson to bake a pie for Mr. Riley, and Mr. Riley to retrieve two boys' roof-bound ball, and so on. The simple
art is colorful but not memorable. Attempted multiculturalism feels strained: the one child of color wears basketball
garb, and the probably-Asian-American Mr. Lee is a computer expert. This is a good read-aloud for young children, as the
art is benign and the text includes a pleasing repetition of reactions from neighbors, who are always 'surprised' and
'delighted' by the kindness bestowed upon them. Another positive touch: the succinct back story about the derivation of
the word 'mitzvah.' A sweet plug for random acts of kindness." -- Kirkus Reviews
--Journal
Read more ( javascript:void(0) )
About the Author
----------------
The author of over twenty children's books, Terri Fields has won numerous awards for her writing, including re
from the American Library Association. She and her husband live in Arizona.
Read more ( javascript:void(0) )