Transparency disclosure: this book may be dedicated to me. Unless there’s another Mireille who asked the author for a box set for monster Jewish Holiday books. As a result, it has a soft spot in my heart.
Overview:
Author: Michelle Franklin
Illustrator: J. Burrello
Available on: Amazon
Read as: Paperback
Read for: Fun; learning; gryhons.
Best paired with: Cheesecake, blintzes, kugels, siete cielos.
Cosy Scale: Kid friendly
Series: Loveable Monster Holiday; Book 3
Features: Gryphons, and our favourite Bubby and Zaidy
Spoiler free review
Goodreads Review for :
Gryphons Don’t Celebrate Shavuot
by Michelle Franklin
This book is probably the cheesiest of the Loveable Monster Holiday series. If you don’t know why just by reading the title, then you need to buy the book.
I love this series because it gives me a reason to sit with my five year old nephew and ask him questions about the monster shapes he sees. In the third book of the series, J. Burrello masterfully wrangles the gryphons – including elusive gryphon subspecies I haven’t encountered before or since, so the conversations last much longer than the 10 or 15 minutes of rapt attention reading *I’m* able to wrangle out of the situation.
It should also be noted that in order to be well prepared for reading to the small one, I take the time to reread it several times beforehand myself – the pronunciation guides are, as always, greatly appreciated.
Being a detail-oriented person who believes that all words in a book should be read, I urge you to pay special attention to the copyright texts, as well as the pages that books typically leave blank.
View all my reviews on Goodreads
Semi-spoilered review
It’s a book to teach people about Shavuot. Gryphons are ideally suited – and are too seldomly featured in fiction – to go over the different names, associations, rites and meanings, offerings, and history of Shavuot.
With its humour and illustrations, it’s great tool to teach children about the celebration and its history. It’s also a lot of fun for adults who don’t know much about the Holiday and who are invited over for blintzes and cheesecake seven weeks after Passover.
As I mentioned in the review I left on Goodreads, I love the attention to details. The copyright in itself is a work of art; the footnotes that are delightfully inclusive; and, of course, beautifully illustrated by Burrello.
Ease of reading
I was successfully able to entertain a five year old with no previous experience of Jewish holidays for the whole book, which took about 15 minutes. They were curious about the new words, and getting to see fun catbirds. I would read it out loud to younger children.
That being said, children in the double digits will be able to read it in less time than it would take them to eat a slice of cheesecake. I hope.
Notwithstanding, the language is varied and appealing to older readers. Simply put: it’s not condescending.
Illustrations (mostly Gryphons)
I love the description of Jonathan Burrello at the end of this book. This may be due in part because upon our first meeting at the launch party for the book, he was indeed eating cheesecake while doodling at the end of the table. His signature style and bright colours make me want to buy a billion stickers. He’s a bit of a cuteness overload evil mastermind.
My favourite part?
This book has my favourite fart joke ever midway through the book.
