Sadie is eager to celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees, by planting a tree in her backyard — even though the ground is covered in snow. Undeterred, she digs and digs, while beautifully illustrated visions of a magnificent tree — wearing the season-appropriate leaves of spring, summer, and fall — dance in her head. But once Sadie understands why winter is not the time for planting, she embraces a new idea: she and her little brother, Ori (who is featured along with Sadie in six other titles) build and decorate a snow tree. And then, at Grandma’s suggestion, they enthusiastically plant parsley seeds, carefully care for the little plant, and use the parsley during Passover. This gentle story of determination enriched by sweet and whimsical pictures. A note at the end explains that in Israel the Hebrew month of Shevat announces the start of spring.
Susan Kantor was a senior writer/editor for Girl Scouts of the USA, a children’s book editor, and a past judge for the National Jewish Book Awards in the illustrated children’s book category. She is a writer and a docent at the Rubin Museum in New York City, where she leads public and private tours.
