This slight story offers a pleasant way to learn about the various rituals of Shabbat through the eyes of a young Orthodox girl living in Jerusalem. Six-year-old Ellie has been chosen to sing a solo at the Sabbath afternoon gathering of the Orthodox Jewish congregation to which her family belongs. It is Friday and Ellie’s voice is creaky. Needless to say, she is very concerned. How will she perform this special honor?
As Ellie mulls over her options and possible solutions the reader is introduced to the special preparations and rituals for the upcoming Sabbath celebration. Ellie solves her voice issue by donning a lamb costume and bleating out her song to thunderous applause. Hebrew and Yiddish words are italicized and later appear in the glossary. The text is printed crisply on unadorned backgrounds and is properly sized for young readers. The very simple, stylized illustrations support the narrative, although there is nothing in them that identifies Israel as the setting. An appropriate choice for those needing a story about Shabbat, and may work well as a read-aloud. For ages 4 – 6.