A fun-filled introduction to the joys of doing good deeds and mitzvot . Join Mitzvah Meerkat and friends as they introduce children to the everyday kindnesses that mark the beginning of a Jewish journey and a lifetime commitment to tikkun olam (repairing the world). Through lively illustrations and playful dialogue, children engage with Jewish wisdom as they share in welcoming new friends, forgiving mistakes, respecting elders, sharing food with the hungry, and much, much more. The creators of The Mitzvah Project Book (2011) team up to introduce young audiences to the concept of performing acts of loving kindness and tikkun olam (repairing the world). Mitzvah Meerkat notes examples of these good deeds in the activities of his animal buddies: welcoming new friends, sharing food, helping the elderly, forgiving mistakes, taking care of the earth, caring for the sick, giving to charity, making peace, enjoying Shabbat, and honoring parents. Situations and vocabulary are age appropriate (“Peter, I found your mitten!” “Thank you. Has anyone seen my glasses?”), and Meerkat’s refrain (“It’s a . . . it’s a . . . it’s a mitzvah!”) will encourage audience participation. Molk’s energetic cartoon illustrations (featuring friendly monkeys, bears, deer, beavers, kangaroos, rabbits, zebras, and sheep involved in everyday pursuits) enhance the text’s upbeat message and make this a good choice for religious school read-alouds. Preschool-Grade 1. --Kay Weisman If your kids haven't heard of Mitzvah Meerkat and all his animal friends, then it s time to introduce them to this delightfully illustrated picture book. The authors were inspired by a well-known Talmud teaching relating the importance of various good deeds, such as honoring parents, visiting the sick, helping the needy, bringing peace between people and more. The lively animal characters joyously perform many mitzvot that children can easily relate to, and the clever layout helps parents introduce the Jewish concepts of performing good deeds in an age-appropriate manner. The title refers to the rhythmic refrain that can be chanted for fun by kids during a story-time session, but the whimsical pen-and-ink watercolor drawings are the highlight of this engaging way to introduce children to acts of loving kindness. Thankfully not preachy or otherwise didactic, the lessons are cute and contemporary. (The sheep are knitting scarves, the monkeys play on monkey bars, etc.) This is an excellent book for the preschool classroom, but the cuteness factor of the animals antics will ensure that parents at home will also get lots of pleasure in learning great Jewish values and passing them on to future generations. --Lisa Silverman"The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles" (09/05/2012)" "Delightful! An engaging read-aloud for families with young children. Highly recommended!" Dr. Ron Wolfson , Fingerhut Professor of Education, American Jewish University; author, Be Like God: God's To-Do List for Kids; co-author, What You Will See Inside a Synagogue "Delightfully engaging! An accessible, upbeat way for children to discover how much good they can do and how Jewish practice is already woven into the best parts of our lives." Durga Yael Bernhard , author/illustrator, Around the World in One Shabbat: Jewish People Celebrate the Sabbath Together Offers a fun way to introduce children to the joy of performing good deeds and acts of lovingkindness. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso , author of many children's books, including God s Paintbrush; In God s Name; and The Shema in the Mezuzah Imagine a Jewish Dr. Seuss, and you get this gorgeous book. What a splendid way to introduce young children to the rich moral vocabulary of Judaism! [It] makes a powerful statement: you re never too young to be fully engaged with Jewish ideals. Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin , author, For Kids Putting God on Your Guest List: How to Claim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah and Text Messages: A Torah Commentary for Tee ns " In the Jewish tradition, mitzvah covers a variety of activities done by people who are animated by love, kindness, caring, and sharing. Liz Suneby and Diane Heiman have come up with a playful format for this children's book for those ages 3 6 years of age. A little band of animals respond to the question: "What is a mitzvah?" and then show us what it means through the practices of welcoming new friends, sharing food with the hungry, helping someone who is older, forgiving someone who has made a mistake, taking care of the earth, cheering on your friends, looking after the sick, giving charity, being a peacemaker, sharing the loving spirit of Shabbat, and honoring one's parents. According to Suneby and Heiman, you cannot touch or smell or buy mitzvah but you can experience it again and again as "a warm feeling of happiness in our hearts when we do good deeds. Mitzvah is a way of life." By the time you finish reading this book, delightfully illustrated by Laurel Molk,