RIVKA’S PRESENTS, by Laurie Wallmark and Adelina Lirius, Random House Studio, July 11, 2023, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 3-7)
A young Jewish girl finds a way to learn even when she can’t go to school in Rivka’s Presents, by Laurie Wallmark and Adelina Lirius.
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. —Synopsis provided by Random House Studio
Rivka’s Presents is a gentle story of a young girl determined to learn. Author Laurie Wallmark explains Rivka’s situation in a way that even young readers will understand. There’s a brightness to Rivka’s character that comes from smooth and warm prose.
Illustrator Adelina Lirius not only captures life in 1918, but the joy that comes with knowing. Her gouache, colored pencil and digital illustrations have a lovely folk-art feel to them that enhances the overall reading experience.
An author’s note and glossary provide further context.
Rivka’s Presents is a beautiful story of immigrants and their drive to live the American dream. It would make a great addition to both home and school libraries.
About the creators:
Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM. Her titles include Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars; Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, which received four starred reviews and a Cook Prize Honor; Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code; Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, a Crystal Kite Winner and Cook Prize Honor recipient; and others. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA and is a former software engineer and computer science professor. You can find Laurie online at www.lauriewallmark.com, on Twitter: @lauriewallmark, Facebook: @lauriewallmarkauthor and Instagram: @lauriewallmark.
Adelina Lirius is an illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden. She loves painting imaginary scenes, portraying nature, and depicting the different cultures she grew up with. Adelina is the illustrator of a picture book adaptation of The Secret Garden; The Fort by Laura Perdew; and I, Too, Am Mozart by Audrey Ades, which received a starred review from School Library Journal. Visit her on Instagram @adalinaillustration.
Copyright © 2023 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
