Book Review - It's a Mitzvah Grover!

It's a Mitzvah Grover!

By: Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing
Publication Date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-0761375630
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: February 2013

Grover sat in his little purple chair getting ready to write to all his friends about all his friends on Israel’s television show, Rechov Sumsum. It was really a lot like Sesame Street and while he was there he learned all about “tikkun alam.” When Grover first heard those Hebrew words from Brosh he scratched his head when he explained, “It means ‘repairing the world.’” The playground they were on was a BIG mess with broken swings and all kinds of litter scattered about. There was even a sneaker on the grass. Avigail and Mahboub were all excited and wanted to help clean up everything and “paint the swings, slide, and seesaw.”

Brosh explained that they were “doing a ‘mitzvah’” when they repaired their playground. That blue finger went right back up to Grover’s head to give it a little scratch because he didn’t know what that Hebrew word meant either. While everyone got out the trash bags and put some paint in the wagon, Brosh explained that “It means to do something nice for others.” On the way they ran into Moishe in his trash can and asked if he wanted to help with their mitzvah. “Forget it! I don’t like helping, and I don’t want to do a mitzvah,” he claimed. Was there any way they could get that grouch to help?

This is a fun story about how Grover’s friends taught him all about doing a mitzvah. Grover, Brosh, Avril, and Mahboub want to make the world a better place by cleaning up the playground, but of course grumpy old Moishe had no intention of helping. In this book young children will learn the importance of a mitzvah as they see several examples of the characters helping out one another. The fun little twist at the end shows how even Moishe learns to help others. If you want to help little ones learn how Grover and his friends learned about a commandment while being nice to each other, this would be the perfect book to add to your list!

Quill says: "Hello ecerybodeee!" If you want to learn all about a mitvah, Grover will tell you what it's all about!