cover image Mazal-Tov: A Jewish Wedding

Mazal-Tov: A Jewish Wedding

Jose Patterson. Hamish Hamilton, $0 (24pp) ISBN 978-0-241-12269-3

Using a Glasgow couple to show the spirituality and fun of an orthodox Jewish wedding, this volume from The Way We Live series covers a broad variety of subjects: how the bride and groom met, their party and presents, the marriage contract, a visit to the Mikveh ritual bath, dressing formally for the big day, what the groom promises in the ceremony (but not what the bride promises him), photographing the event. The color pictures are good, but the narration is hard to follow; information is not presented in the order most children would seek it. Too many possible events were inserted (as reenactments) at the cost of cohesivenessthe groom's boxing with a young cousin, the explanation of rare arranged marriages (which this one is not). The continuing presence of Richard, a young page boy, helps readers understand that there are roles for children to play in the wedding ceremony. All ages. (Oct.)