Shani’s Shoebox
Rinat Hoffer
(Green Bean)
As most parents know, the best part of most presents is the box. But even if they keep the kids occupied for the rest of Chanukah, they eventually get recycled and forgotten.
In this lovely new story written and illustrated by Rinat Hoffer, what starts out as a simple box for Rosh Hashanah shoes takes on new meaning with every passing chag.
And while it may be confusing how the doors and window that were cut out to make a cardboard sukkah return when a neighborhood cat needs a place to sleep during Chanukah or when Shani’s family needs a ballot box to decide where to go on vacation, the lid makes for a passable Purim mask and the entire box continues to hold family treasures and to hold the Jewish year together until Shani is given another pair of new year’s shoes and the cycle starts again (as it always does).
In addition to being a great story about resourcefulness and recycling, Shani’s Shoebox is also a wonderful way to introduce the Jewish holidays to your treasure keepers and will hopefully inspire creativity throughout the year!
– Matt Robinson
