Alef is for Abba / Alef is for Ima

By: Rebecca Kafka
Illustrated by: Constanza Basaluzzo
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing
Publication Date: August 2014
ISBN: 978-1467721561
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: April 2015

It’s time to spend a day with Abba, father. Abba picks up his son for a hug, but when it’s time to get up in the morning the little boy whispers in his ozen, ear. Abba smiles because it’s time to get up and start his day. They’re both still in their jammies and sit on the bed to talk. The little boys snuggles up with his stuffed aryeh, lion, as they smile. Time to get up, time to get up because the sky is blue and perhaps they can go out. There are a couple of coats in the aran, closet, and one of them is perfect to hide in. Can you find me, Abba?

All dressed up and ready to go they head to the auto, car, to head to the store. There are all kinds of nice fruits and vegetables on display and they are offered some avatiach, watermelon, to test. Mmmmm! It’s a beautiful aviv, spring, day and they soon head home with their bags of groceries. It’s time for a bath, but after the boy is scrub a dub, dub clean he has to choose between a adom, red, or blue shirt before they eat. Mother is setting the table with all kinds of ochel, food. Doesn’t that challah look good! It’s time for bed and storytime. Ima, mother, and the little boy listen, but when the day is done they all say “Ani ohevet otcha! (I love you).”

This is a charming flip book of Hebrew words beginning with the letter Alef that little ones will love. A little boy spends the day with his father (Abba) and as we read we learn ten words beginning with Alef. When the book is flipped, the day is spent with his mother (Ima) and we learn ten more. In the two-page spread in the middle of the book the day meets bedtime when everyone gathers together to read and spend time together. Each word is printed out in Hebrew followed by its transliteration and English translation. The flip book has a story about Abba and when flipped has a story about Ima, a unique and fun approach.

Quill says: This is a perfect book to introduce little ones to the Hebrew alphabet and words!