Rivka's Presents
by Laurie Wallmark (Author) Adelina Lirius (Illustrator)
In this heartwarming story about the importance of community, a little Jewish girl living on the Lower East Side during the flu pandemic of 1918 can't start school because her father is sick, so she makes a trade with her neighbors: chores for lessons.
It's 1918 on the Lower East Side of New York City, and Rivka is excited to start school. But when her papa gets sick with the flu, her mama has to go to work at the shirtwaist factory and Rivka needs to stay home and take care of her little sister. But Rivka figures out a way to learn anyway: she trades chores with the grocer, the tailor, and an elderly neighbor for lessons. As the seasons change, Rivka finds she can count pennies for the iceman and read the labels on jars of preserve. And one day, Papa is no longer sick, and Rivka can finally start school!
Full kindness and love for your neighbors, here is a story that introduces life on the Lower East Side for a Jewish family during the flu pandemic of 1918.
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K-Gr 4--Rivka, her sister Miriam, and their parents live on the Lower East Side in New York City in 1918. One morning Rivka wakes up excited to start school, only to be told that her father is sick and will not be able to provide for the family. Her mother has to go out to work. Rivka will be responsible for watching her younger sister Miriam. Rivka is devastated but understands. She enlists the grocery shop owner Mr. Solomon, the tailor Mr. Cohen, and her neighbor Mrs. Langholtz to teach her; in exchange, she helps them clean and deliver items to other customers. In the end, her mother throws Mr. Solomon, Mr. Cohen, and Mrs. Langholtz a party thanking them for educating Rivka. This historical picture book is based on incidents during the 1918 flu pandemic where many people lost their lives due to flu, common cold, and tuberculosis. This book could be used with older elementary children in a unit on pandemics, or the history of cities, when crowding and illness could be a death sentence. VERDICT A unique book that would be a great asset to collections.--Annmarie Braithwaite
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV016150 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 20th Century
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
Fathers and daughters
Jews
