In a world of constant interruption that values speed over reflection, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso offers an interactive way to find the quiet we need to get in touch with our deepest selves. Designed to give you peace, inspiration, and a much-needed pause amid the business of daily life, Coloring the Silence contains twenty-five illustrations for coloring along with twenty-five reflections and prayers for meditation.
Inspired by the bestselling book, Soul Feast: An Inspirational Adult Coloring Book allows the reader to bring these powerful, spiritual reflections to life through coloring. Designed to give you both peace and inspiration, this beautiful coloring book contains 25 illustrations for coloring in along with 25 quotes and prayers for reflection. Exploring important spiritual practices such as “Coloring as Prayer” and “Spiritual Reading,” Soul Feast: An Inspirational Adult Coloring Book is perfect for meditation and relaxation.
Jewish Stories of Love and Marriage offers a treasury of tales that speak to the tenderness and passion, difficulties and blessings of love. Jewish tradition overflows with love stories from the Bible, Talmud, and Midrash. Folktales continue the tradition, and contemporary writers highlight the way their faith and love interweave and enrich each other.
From Adam and Eve to the Song of Songs, from legends of Solomon to the letters of Alfred Dreyfus, these are stories that tell of heartbreak and devotion. They tell of how people fall in love and how they grow in love. The narratives are as old as the Bible and as new as the twenty-first century. They come from places as far-ranging as Yemen and New York. The relationships are heterosexual and homosexual, arranged and spontaneous, young and mature. Though they reflect the times and places in which they were told, they have a universal message about longing and romance, relationship, respect, and commitment.
Noted storyteller Peninnah Schram and Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso collect these tales for the first time, inviting readers to delve into these stories alone and together, at engagements, weddings, and anniversaries, to recall what once brought people close and what continues to hold them in love.
Midrash is the paperback version of God’s Echo.
Rabbi Sasso explores how Midrash originated, how it is still used today, and offers new translations and interpretations of more than twenty essential Midrash texts.
The Rabbis of old believed that the Torah was divinely revealed and therefore contained eternal, perfect truths and hidden meaning that required elucidation. The meaning of a text was more complicated than simply reading it. And meaning changed over time. This understanding of how the Bible mystically relates to all of life is the fertile ground from which midrash emerged.
“The rabbis believed that nothing in the Bible, not the choice of words or their spellings, not the order of events or the relationship of one text to another, was haphazard or inconsequential. Everything was there with purpose. They deemed it their responsibility to discover connections and harmony where on the surface none appeared to exist. A text may contain multiple meanings. Time is of no consequence. They felt free to read back into old stories what happened in future eras, and to see in the early stories of Genesis a foreshadowing of future events. In this engaging book, Rabbi Sasso explores how midrash originated, how it is still used today, and offers new translations and interpretations of more than twenty essential midrash texts.
Coming February 21, 2023
In this creative retelling of Psalm 23, a child imagines scary shadows chasing away her sleep and peace as she reaches out to God her Comforter. Gently and imaginatively written, this story about being afraid of the dark brings the psalmist’s words into a new and relatable light for children, providing comforting reassurance, especially for children experiencing nighttime fears and anxieties.
Backmatter includes background information about Psalm 23 and encouragement and practical tips for coping with fear and scary times.
Sally Priesand, the first American woman to be ordained a rabbi, opened doors for Jewish women’s full participation in Jewish life in this third book by Sandy Sasso about courageous women from Jewish history.
It was the 1970’s and doors were opening for women all across America. They could be doctors, lawyers, even pilots. But two thousand years of tradition said they couldn’t be rabbis. Until Sally. Sally Priesand wanted not just to learn Torah, but to teach it; not just to listen to a sermon, but give one; not just sit in the congregation, but lead it. In rabbinical school, people whispered, “She is only here to find a husband.”
“She will never finish.”
“No congregation will hire her.”
But Sally didn’t listen. She finished her studies and became the first women rabbi in America. She opened the door for the many women who followed, and her story inspires us all to reach for our dreams.
A tiny fig tree needs time to grow. But how much time? All four seasons go by…and there are no figs. The seasons pass again. Still no figs! Is the fig tree good for nothing?
Inspired by the parable of the Barren Fig Tree, The Good for Nothing Tree reminds us that the sweetest figs, like many other things, are worth waiting for. Not every tree–and not every child–grows at the same pace. Yet patience, care, and love can change everything, making what may appear good for nothing very good.
A note about the parable’s New Testament origins and a recipe are included.
From the snake in the Garden of Eden to the lost sheep in Luke’s parable, stories about fish and birds, rams and goats abound. We read about them, but they have no voice of their own. Here we allow the raven and the dove on Noah’s ark, the big fish that swallowed Jonah, and the donkey on which Balaam rode, to be the narrators of their own stories, to inform us and help us to re-imagine our stories. We learn something about the intrinsic value of all living beings, and something about ourselves.
A Very Big Problem is a Junior Library Guild Selection.
In the beginning, God’s garden is beautiful and peaceful, but it doesn’t stay that way. Everyone has something to say! Rain brags that it s the most refreshing. Birds boast that they re the most splendid. Earthworms bluster about their busyness. Then Children come along, claiming to be the best of all. And it’s only fair that the best is loved most, isn’t it?
Papa, why can there be no music in the synagogue? Why do men and women sit separately? Why don’t women read the Torah? Do I have to believe in God?
In the 1920s the world was changing for women. Maybe it was time for things to change in the synagogue as well. But when Judy’s father, Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, said it was time for her to lead services, she nearly dropped the noodle kugel. It was unthinkable. Or was it? The tradition of bat mitzvah in the synagogue had just begun.
In this illustrated biography, Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso tells the story of Judy Kaplan, the first girl to have a bat mitzvah ceremony in the United States in 1922. Judy was the oldest daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism.
From a young age, Regina Jonas loved to read stories from the Bible. She loved to read Hebrew. She wanted to be a rabbi.
There had never been a woman rabbi before, and some people said, ‘You should learn to cook and sew like the other girls.’ But Regina persisted.
They said, ‘Don’t make trouble.’ But Regina persisted.
They said, ‘Women are not smart enough.’ Regina heard, but still she persisted.
Finally, in 1935, Regina Jonas became the first woman ever ordained as a rabbi. Her story inspires us to pursue our dreams and to persist even in the face of great challenges.
Words. There are long words and short words, nice words and mean words. There are silly words, scary words, and hard-to-spell words. There are so many words in our world! But where did they all come from?
Award-winning children’s book author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso tells a creative tale about the origin of words, and the power of language, in When God Gave Us Words. Inside this innovative children’s book, God gives the power of words to humankind. At first, God and the angels are pleased with how people use words, but over time they start to use words to make curses, lies, and threats. The angels beg God to take back the gift of language, and just as God is about to take it back, new, beautiful words begin to fill the air. When God Gave Us Words features imaginative illustrations by Darcy Day Zoells.
When God Gave Us Words is a 2018 Spirituality & Practice Award Winner!
Poor and: the word everyone takes for granted. So tiny, so common, so easily overlooked. Yet if it weren’t for and, so much would fall apart! Who knew such a little word could make such a big difference?
When an array of opinionated shapes just can’t find common ground, AND comes to the rescue. AND is the link that helps each pair of shapes overcome their differences, teaming up to create something entirely new. Bouncy rhyming text and colorful paintings come together in a fable that will prompt children to look for the unexpected connections all around them. Singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer has recorded an original song based on the story, available to readers as a bonus download at www.flyawaybooks.com/resources.
Watch the book trailer now on YouTube.
“Be careful of the Blues. We are better than they are. They are not our neighbors.”
Blues and Yellows just don’t mix, and that’s how it’s always been. No one remembers why. But then comes the day Midnight Blue takes a tumble along the road. His friends Navy and Powder Blue don’t even stop to help! It’s only when a Yellow comes along that everything changes—forever.
Who is my neighbor? The answer might surprise you.
This creative story is sure to prompt rich conversations, encouraging new ways of seeing our neighbors and ourselves. A note for parents and educators is included.
“A child plants a mustard seed in an empty garden. It is an itty-bitty seed. It isn’t anything very special—yet.”
Sandy Sasso and Amy-Jill Levine invite you to discover the surprising potential of one small seed in The Marvelous Mustard Seed. Based on Jesus’ parable of the Mustard Seed, this inspiring children’s book shows young readers that one tiny seed—just like one small child—carries a world of potential. The Marvelous Mustard Seed features ethnically diverse characters, and it is ideal for children ages 4-8. A special note for parents and teachers is included.
“One sheep makes a difference. Without her something is missing. Now my flock is complete.”
Oh, no! The man is missing his sheep! The woman is missing her coin! The father is missing his son! Can you help them find what they are looking for?
Who Counts? is a creative retelling of three popular parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. As young readers count to help the characters find what’s missing, Who Counts? teaches that every one of us counts in God’s eyes and that everyone should feel counted.
The stories are beautifully illustrated with modern-day characters and a diversity of ethnicities so that all children will be able to see themselves in the stories.
I had always looked into the windows of the houses around the courtyard. In most windows, I saw people working and children playing. When the soldiers came, people began covering their windows, so I couldn’t see inside anymore.
But the tiny attic window of the narrow brick house behind Otto Frank’s business offices had no window shade. For a long time, the rooms were empty. Then one day, Otto’s whole family came to live there. They called their new home the Secret Annex…
This is a story of Anne Frank and her sister Margot, who loved a tree, and the tree who promised never to forget them.
While there are many books of creation, few if any talk about the light of the first day and how it differs from the lights of the sun and the moon. Legend and imagination combine to tell the story of creation’s first light, what happened to it and the surprising places where we can still find it.
This is a beautifully illustrated creation story for children of all ages. Based on the first chapter in Genesis, it would be of particular interest to all those on a spiritual journey; libraries and schools; new parents, grandparents, and the entire family.
2013 Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award
2012 National Jewish Book Award for Best Illustrated Children’s Book
In a divided world where the one who shouts the loudest often gets the most attention, a story about compromise and listening.
The townspeople have mezuzahs but cannot agree on how to put them up on their doorways. Should they place them horizontally or vertically, standing up or lying down? To end their arguing, they consult the wise rabbi of the town, who advises them to carefully read the Shema in the mezuzah to find the answer.
This lively tale, based on a twelfth-century rabbinic debate, introduces children ages 3 to 6 to the words of the Shema, the Jewish people s affirmation of faith, and the custom of putting up the mezuzah. A spirited disagreement over how to affix the mezuzah results in compromise and harmony when the townspeople learn to truly listen to one another.
Best-selling, award-winning children s author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso helps young people discover that there is often more than one solution to a problem, and that living together and creating home requires cooperation and listening to one another.
“Best Book of the Year” –Publishers Weekly
“Best Book of he Year” – American Library Association’s Booklist
“Top Pick, Youth Religion Books” – American Library Association’s Booklist
A Children’s Book Council Not Just for Children Anymore! Selection
This lively collection of four stories gives voices and names to women from biblical and ancient times whom we seldom remember. But God Remembered imagines and remembers, and weaves the stories of:
Lilith, the first woman in the garden of Eden, and her determination to have men and women treat each other as equals; Serach, the musician, who, with her song, reveals to her grandfather Jacob that his son Joseph is still alive, and whose courage to speak out heals the wrongs of another generation; Bityah, who draws the baby Moses from the Nile and with a mother’s bravery encourages him to become who he will be, proving that taking a risk to do what’s right can change the world; the bold-spirited Daughters of Z, who struggle against discrimination with great daring–and extraordinary results.
But God Remembered is a modern reclaiming of the Bible, a celebration of courageous and wise women from ancient tradition. These stories invite children of all ages to remember, and to bring their own faith and dreams to life.
Now available in paperback!
“Once there was a town called Chelm where there was no luck. If something could go wrong, it did. The roofs of the houses always leaked. The sidewalks were cracked. The gardens grew only weeds. Nothing was ever right.” So begins best-selling children’s author, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (nearly 500,000 copies of her books are in print), in this charming, original story inspired by a Jewish folktale. Through her remarkable storytelling, Sandy Sasso has brought to life the mythical town of Chelm, and created another classic for reading aloud and discussing with children in Butterflies Under Our Hats.
The abridged, board book version of “Adam and Eve’s First Sunset”
The abridged, board book version of “God’s Paintbrush”
2005 Sugarman Family Children’s Book Award
2006 Best Book of Indiana in Children’s Literature Award
Abuelita’s Secret Matzahs tells the fascinating and little-known story of the Cryptojews, while illustrating the universal importance of faith for people of all religious denominations. Jacobo loves to visit his abuelita, his grandmother, especially at Easter time. But Abuelita has a big secret. During semana santa, Holy Week, his grandmother never makes bread, only tortillas made without yeast. She never eats pork, and she lights two candles on Friday nights. But whenever Jacobo asks her questions, she answers, “Ah, mijito, my child, it is the way of our family.” One day, Abuelita is finally ready to share her secret. “Sit with me on the porch. It is time to tell you the secret of our family . . .”
Selected as Outstanding by Parent Council
Special Merit Award, VBPA
For preschoolers—a first lesson in finding your place in God’s creation. This simple, beautiful book helps parents and children explore spirituality together by inviting children of all faiths and backgrounds to encounter God through everyday experience and the imagination.
Adapted from Sandy Eisenberg Sasso’s award-winning God’s Paintbrush, playful text and lively illustrations guide very young children in finding faith through colors, song, and dance. Preschoolers will delight in turning the sturdy pages and beginning the journey of finding joy and meaning in their world.
One of the “Best Spiritual Books of the Year” – Spirituality & Health Magazine
What will Adam and Eve do when the sun begins to set for the first time? Is it their fault? Does it mean that God is angry? Award-winning author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso has created another profound story—a beautiful recasting of the biblical tale of Adam and Eve in the Garden—for today’s children, their parents, and their teachers. This is the story of Adam and Eve’s first test of trust and faith and how they learned to find hope and light—even in the dark.
The abridged, board book version of “Noah’s Wife: The Story of Naamah”
“Best Book of the Year” – Publishers Weekly
Previously titled, “A Prayer for Earth.” When God tells Noah to bring the animals of the world onto the ark, God also calls on Naamah, Noah’s wife, to save each plant on earth. In this new story, based on an ancient text, Naamah’s wisdom and love for the natural harmony of the earth inspires us to use our own courage, creativity and faith to carry out Naamah’s work today.
Cain and Abel were born into God’s garden called Earth, a world of bright days for working in their fields and peaceful nights to share the stories of their dreams. The first children, the first brothers, they were so much alike yet so different–Cain a shepherd, Abel a farmer.
They lived side by side, surrounded by trees where wonderful, exotic fruits of many kinds grew: everywhere orapples, rasdew, and banangerines ripened all on a single branch. The air was sweet with the smell of pinango, limeberry and waterloupe.
But jealousy, anger, and fear took all of this away. Cain and Abel’s happiness came to an end, and with it, the trees’ ability to grow these special fruits.
In a world often hurt by violence, this retold biblical story gives children and adults a starting point for discussing anger and its effects on those around us. By harnessing the power we have to deal with our emotions in positive ways, we can once again cultivate the fruits of peace–and change the world for the better.
One of the “Best Spiritual Books of the Year” – Spirituality & Health Magazine
Nautilus Award
Also titled, “A Tale of Two Mountains.” Water and oil, light and dark, summer rain and desert wind: In this fable of opposites, award-winning author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso shows children and adults of all faiths and backgrounds how self-centered actions affect people around us, and how by working together we can work with God-to create a better world.
Selected as Outstanding by Parent Council
People said “for heaven’s sake” to Isaiah a lot. Everyone talked about heaven. “Thank heavens.” “Heaven forbid.” But no one would say what heaven was or where to find it. After his grandfather died Isaiah was told that Grandpa had gone to heaven. Isaiah wondered exactly where and what heaven was. He became determined to find out, and sought answers from many different people. In this charming story, award-winning author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso teaches that heaven is often found in the places where you least expect it.
The abridged, board book version of “In God’s Name.”
Visionary Award, Coalition of Visionary Retailers, Runner-Up
From award-winning author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso comes a new story to delight children and adults from all faiths and backgrounds. This is the magical, mythical tale of a poor village at the foot of a hill–a topsy-turvy town with no roads and no windows, where the people sneeze through tall weeds and trip over rocks as big as watermelons. Surely God would help them, they decide. But “how” can God be found? The story, grounded in Jewish wisdom, teaches that God can be found where we are.
Selected as Outstanding by Parent Council
Finalist, Hungry Mind Review Books of Distinction
Special Mention, New York Times Book Review
Selected by One Spirit/Book-of-the-Month Club
A Children’s Book Council, Not Just for Children Anymore! Selection
Everyone and everything in the world has a name. What is God s name? Like an ancient myth in its poetic text and vibrant illustrations, this modern fable about the search for God’s name celebrates the diversity and, at the same time, the unity of all the people of the world. Each seeker claims he or she alone knows the answer. Finally, they come together and learn what God’s name really is, sharing the ultimate harmony of belief in one God by people of all faiths, all backgrounds.
