The Tenth Man: A Miracle of Jewish Faith and Friendship in New Orleans

In a picture book crafted like the best drawn journalism, Bennett (The True Story of Zippy Chippy) and Neiss, making her picture book debut, tell the true story of what happened when a downtrodden young man wandered into a worn New Orleans synagogue. Drawn by the singing he heard inside, Alex Brown found nine elderly Orthodox Jews, most of them Holocaust survivors, who needed Brown’s presence as a 10th Jewish man to complete their minyan. The encounter awakens something deep within Brown, who becomes an essential member of the community, lifting a Torah too heavy for aging hands, handling administrative tasks, and even—in one of the book’s fine comic moments—ferrying nursing home residents to the synagogue. “And in return,” Brown is quoted reflecting, “they gave me life.” Fluid digital and watercolor renderings pulse with immediacy and genuine affection, revealing the men through Brown’s eyes—their resilience and vitality, their crankiness and frugality, and their devotion to both their faith and to their 10th man—in this work about life’s unexpected gifts. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Extensive back matter includes needed context. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)