cover image It's A Mitzvah, Grover!

It's A Mitzvah, Grover!

Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer, illus. by Tom Leigh. Kar-Ben, $16.95 (24p) ISBN 978-0-7613-7562-3

Grover, Moishe Oofnick (Oscar the Grouch), and the gang learn about helping others (doing mitzvot) and making the world a better place (tikkun olam) in this fun and cheerful tale. When a storm hits the local playground, Avigail, Brosh, and their Shalom Sesame friends decide to clean it up and restore its luster. As they repaint the slide, swings, and other equipment, they learn about basic and mixed colors and realize that everyone can be involved in doing good deeds. Even the grouch Moishe Oofnick sees, to his chagrin, that something as simple as recycling can be a mitzvah. The concept of tikkun olam and the directive to do mitzvot is simplified nicely for children. A bold color palette and an easy storyline will draw and hold attention as young readers find out about colors and mitzvot from familiar characters. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)