Review by Booklist Review
Born in 1904, Sydney Taylor grew up in New York's Lower East Side, referred to in Michelson's text as "the smelliest, noisiest, most crowded neighborhood in the world." Yet Taylor's warm childhood memories, retold as fiction in All-of-a-Kind Family (1951) and its four sequels, reflected her happiness as one of five sisters observing religious holidays within a loving, Jewish family and learning American traditions at a nearby settlement house. As an adult, she danced with Martha Graham's company, did secretarial work, supported progressive causes, married, and raised a family. While reading to her children, she reflected on the continuing lack of Jewish characters in books for young people and decided to remedy the situation by writing stories based on her own childhood. The colorful illustrations provide lively character portrayals and settings for the story. The book's title refers to Taylor's individuality, contrasted with the five young sisters' "all-of-a-kind" look, due to their similar clothing. Additional details about Taylor's life appear in the back matter. Highly recommended for kids who have enjoyed reading or listening to Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Growing up in a poor family of Jewish immigrants on New York's Lower East Side, Sydney Taylor, born Sarah Brenner (1904--1978), has a strong sense of self and purpose. Dropping the "shy and old-fashioned" name Sarah at 14 in favor of "modern" Sydney, she immerses herself in an art scene intertwined with socialist causes, finds her soulmate in Ralph Taylor, and--when their daughter wonders why the books they read are only about Christian children--writes stories of her own girlhood. Subdued digital gouache drawings by Greene are largely reportorial, but if this picture book biography feels at times visually restrained given the passion and persistence of its subject, it's also laudable for honestly portraying success as a long time coming: it was only after WWII, "when maybe the world is finally ready to celebrate all customs and cultures," Michelson writes, that All-of-a-Kind Family--"the first Jewish children's book to become popular with non-Jewish readers," per a note--is published. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author's note concludes. Ages 7--10. (Feb.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Sydney Taylor (1904-1978), born Sarah Brenner, was the author of the All-of-a-Kind Family novels, known as the first Jewish children's books to be popular with a mainstream audience. Here, Michelson (a recipient of Taylor's eponymous award for As Good as Anybody and The Language of Angels) tells a portion of her story in a lighthearted picture-book biography. Much of the book focuses on the Lower East Side childhood on which Taylor's novels were based; it also touches on her socialist activism, her work as a dancer, and her marriage to Ralph Taylor. An emphasis throughout on her interest in books and writing culminates in the "happily ever after ending" of her first book's publication. The third-person present-tense narration focuses tightly on Taylor's internal life and, along with occasional dialogue, lends an immediate feel; an appended note acknowledges that much of that dialogue is invented, "but the thoughts, if not the exact words, are all taken from Syd's writings or [her daughter] Jo's recollections." Green's cool-hued digital gouache illustrations alternate straightforward scenes and spreads filled with vignettes highlighting aspects of Taylor's life. This introduction, mostly cheerful in focus and tone, provides useful context for her novels (Cummins and Dunietz's adult biography From Sarah to Sydney, rev. 7/21, paints a more complete picture). Back matter gives brief additional information about Taylor and her husband and daughter as well as a bibliography. Shoshana FlaxMarch/April 2024 p.112 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Michelson and Green pay homage to a one-of-a-kind author. Born in 1904, book-loving Sarah Brenner is one of five sisters in a poor, Yiddish-speaking family in lower Manhattan. Both parents emigrated from Germany after facing antisemitism. Sarah loves celebrating the Jewish holidays, but her parents also encourage her and her sisters "to learn American customs, 'so you [won't] feel like foreigners in your own country.'" At age 14, Sarah adopts the masculine first name Sydney. Later, when she finds work as a secretary, her co-workers assume she isn't Jewish and make ugly antisemitic slurs--and she protests. She also speaks up for workers' rights and meets her future husband, Ralph Taylor. Upon marrying, she changes her name again--to Sydney Taylor. When her daughter asks why children's books don't feature Jewish characters, Sydney begins writing stories based on her own family history. But World War II is raging, and publishers aren't accepting immigrant stories. Sydney puts her stories aside and forgets about them. Ralph doesn't, however. After the war, he submits them to a story contest; All-of-a-Kind Family wins first prize. Published in 1951, it was "the first Jewish children's book to become popular with non-Jewish readers," as Michelson notes in the backmatter. Told in present tense, this is a lively, well-written tale about a renowned author who helped underrepresented kids see themselves in literature. The charming digital gouache illustrations capture period details and the cozy familial warmth of Taylor's own background. An effective, respectful treatment of a renowned author. (afterword, about Ralph Taylor, about Jo Taylor Marshall, author's note, bibliography, photographs, photo credits) (Picture-book biography. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
