Today Is the Birthday of the World

by Linda Heller

Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world, a day when God and all Earth's creatures celebrate, applauding the contribution that each and every one of us -- from the mightiest elephant to the smallest child -- can make.

Genres: Picture Books, Jewish, Religion, Childrens, Holiday, Animals, Judaism

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2009

About the author

I was born in New York City and continue to live there. I received a B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design and began my professional career as an animator. My film Album was shown at Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the Venice Biennale. I also worked on numerous TV commercials and television shows.

I received a 1996 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction and had an honor story in The Best American Short Stories 1991, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, won a Literal Latte Fiction Award in 1998 and has had stories in Boulevard, the Northwest Review, New Letters, the Alaska Quarterly Review, Quarter After Eight, Ascent and other publications. My stories have been selected for several anthologies.

I have also written and illustrated eleven children’s books. My books received the Parents Choice Award and the Bank Street Award among other honors. Today is the Birthday of the World was released by Dutton in April, 2009. The Castle on Hester Street was reissued in a special anniversary edition by Simon & Schuster in 2007 and is the only book in the forty year history of the Sidney Taylor Award to be honored twice.
I taught children’s book writing and illustrating at the Parsons School of Design and haven given writing and art workshops for children throughout the city.

Reviews

[Sue Winson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another little-AJ’s favourite. The book has all his favourite animals and the illustrations are simply awesome; the elephant is disproportionately fat, the giraffe’s neck is few inches too long, the bee is too large, and the body of the cow is too rectangular. The animals are just too cute. The paintings finished with an aged crackled glaze effect, a signature of Alison Jay, the award-winning illustrator based currently in London.

The story started off with an announcement that “today is the birthday of the world”. The creator God then proceeded to ask each animal whether they have done their best this year and whether they have been the best that they could be. Little-AJ loves listening to the name of the animals being repeated a few times in a line “this year, little giraffe, my dear little giraffe, were you the best little giraffe that you could be?”

Although little-AJ is probably too young to have a serious discussion on how each person can be the best of his kind just by doing what he can do best (and this pleases God regardless), I can foresee having such conversation with little-AJ one day and this book will be a perfect starter.

Full review here: https://storypleasemummy.wordpress.co...

[Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's surprising to open a book and find

"Today all of God's creatures pass before God, and God asks"...

I guess this is how religious people feel when they get a book about two mommy's getting married. In my mind the difference is that one is a reality mostly determined by biology and the other is a fiction mostly determined by indoctrination. I have no qualms exposing my children to religion and explaining that other people believe these things but their parents do not.

But this book ascribes all of the actions of animals and people to the will of god. We do the things we do because God chose that for us. It's such a shallow explanation of the world - ignoring the way all things are connected and the eons of evolution that shape our behaviors. In the end, it is not a celebration of Earth and Nature, but rather a book about God judging us, asking if we did his bidding. Maybe there was an aspiration to convey that God and Nature are one and the same, but that message was not achieved in this book.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When you are the best you can be then the world is the best place it can be, and there is no better birthday present."

What have we done to contribute to the world this year? Have we been the best we can be? Were we happy in the task that God has given you to complete?

I love Alison Jay's illustrations. A beautiful book.

[Melvin Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little children's book where HaShem asks various critters if they were the best they could be. Of course, if you didn't see the cover flap and you were a Gentile, you would not know this was about Rosh Hashanah!

[Kaylynn Johnsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each year God asks the animals if they are happy doing the work he had chosen for them. He then asks a child about all the good he could do. "When you are the best that you can be then the world is the best place that it can be, and there isn't no better birthday present."

[Amy Bodkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet reminder that all we can do is be best version of ourselves that we can be.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! (Except for the illustration of the elephant that looks like a balloon.)

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet! We all need that right now! HaShem asking animals if they were the best versions of themselves this year, I imagine for the book of life!

[David 75 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrific illustrations

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Today is a special day: the birthday of the world, when God and all God's creatures celebrate the beauty of life. As God asks each dear creature in turn whether it has been the best that it can be, this simple affirmation of life and goodness applauds the contribution that each and every one of us - from the mightiest elephant to the smallest child - can make" (Goodreads feature review).

Although the crackled paintings are pretty, there were a few flaws in the narration. First off, we never find out why it's the world's birthday. Secondly, the poetry is disappointing. There is rhythm and flow in the first two lines but it is interrupted by poor word choices and too many syllables:

This year, little beaver, my dear little beaver,
Did you build a strong dam,
Happy that I'd chosen you to widen the pond.

Finally, some of the animals are chosen for the most menial tasks. Elephants usefulness on earth is to clear trunks from the road? Really? The fish lights the dark ocean? Huh?

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes it is repetitive - but beautifully so. One of my daughter's favorite books. "Dear little giraffe, did you eat the leaves from the tops of the trees, happy that I'd chosen you to clear a path for the sun?" And so on with many animals - bee, beaver, elephant, fish, etc. When it comes to "child" G-d asks if the child shared her toys, hung a beautiful picture, played and had fun "to lift the world's spirit". "Because when you are the best you can be, the world is the best place it can be, and there is no better birthday present". This is a tradition in our home on Rosh Hashanah, when we also make a round apple/honey cake that looks like the Earth and blow out candles.

[Elizabeth]

I'm intrigued by the idea that on Rosh Hashanah, ALL creatures pass before God and are asked, "Have you been the best you that you could be?" The text didn't quite do it for me, but I did like the idea of the conclusion -- "Because when you are the best that you can be then the world is the best place that it can be, and there is no better birthday present."

The illustrations evoke old-timey paintings, complete with faint cracking. I would have been fine with the illustrations without the cracking, but the cracking made the scene seem LESS lifelike to me because it was explicitly positioning them as paintings, rather than as scenes I was observing mediated by the book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library this week.

I'll start off with the positive: The illustrations are lovely. At times, stunningly and perfectly lovely.

This book is a nice idea that just doesn't work for me. I don't mind sweet books. I don't mind books that reference God. I don't mind repetitive poetry. But schmaltz is do not like, and this book, to me, was schmaltzy.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one to add to our Amazon Wish List! Great little story about God asking different animals if they were 'the best little ___ this year' and concluding that they were because they were who He created them to be and did what He created them to do. I was tearing up by the end of this one! A must read!

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so did you do all you could do then that is good now repeat that with different things over and over and you have this book. It was late when I was reading it but it did not draw me in. Ages 3+

[Allison]

I thought this book was going to be about Earth Day. It wasn't. The pictures were great, kind of crackly like an old painting, but the book itself was meh.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Creepy anthropomorphically painted animals and insects. Worms don't smile!

[jenna Hudrlik · Rating 2 out of 5]

i dont like reading books with god in them. didnt realize this was going to be one of them. oh well

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the birthday of the world, all of God's creatures pass before Him as He asks whether each has been the best giraffe, or bee, or child they could be, helping to make the world a better place.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book for Rosh Hashanah that is perfect for older children. Review blogged here --> http://bit.ly/sHkJgQ

[Judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the illustrations are quite delightful... As to the content and loudly shouting MESSAGE, simply appalling.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book for children to learn for rosh hashanah.