Rebecca's prayer for President Lincoln

Gr 1--4--This somber picture book tells the story of Rebecca, a Jewish girl living in New York at the time of the Civil War. Her dad joins the Union Army to make sure no one suffers slavery as the Jews did in Egypt. He returns home but has been wounded and lost his hand. The family learns during a Sabbath service that President Lincoln has been assassinated, and the congregation spontaneously recites the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead. The book is based on a historically documented fact, but the backstory may leave readers with more questions than answers about what Jewish life was like in New York in the 1860s. The artwork is oddly contemporary, with the characters appearing somewhat cartoonish, with overly large eyes and minimal shading for dimensionality. The clothes are appropriate to the era, but some details seem incongruent, such as the painting of Abraham Lincoln in the dining room or the father's wooden hand. It tells a story about the Civil War from the Jewish perspective, which might be a useful tool for discussions of point of view. VERDICT A book about the assassination of President Lincoln from a Jewish perspective. A good choice for libraries seeking seldom seen and necessary points of view about historical events.--Debbie Tanner

A Jewish girl living on New York City's Lower East Side reels in the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. When Rebecca's father left to fight in the Civil War, he said, "We Jews, who were once slaves in Egypt, we, especially, should never let a human being be held in slavery." Though he lost a hand, he's still firmly supportive of Lincoln but realizes that some people are nursing feelings of anger. "Anger from those who still believe that they ought to own their fellow humans. And anger from those who were left so long in slavery." On Friday night, April 14, 1865, while Lincoln attends a play at Ford's Theatre, Rebecca's family observes the Sabbath. Rebecca has a strange feeling as she watches the candles flicker. The next morning, she and her family go to Temple Emanu-El. Suddenly, the rabbi arrives and says something to the cantor, who begins to sing the prayer for the dead, the Kaddish. The rabbi announces that Lincoln is dead, and the whole congregation begins to recite the prayer. This tale is rooted in historical events; as reported by the New York Times, those at Temple Emanu-El did indeed say the Kaddish. The choice to frame the events as a work of fiction narrated by a young girl directly touched by the war provides emotional resonance to the straightforward text. Rebecca's family presents white in realistic, though static, illustrations. Highlights an intriguing aspect of Jewish American history through a child's eyes. (author's note, archival photographs, information on the Kaddish, English translation of the Kaddish) (Picture book. 7-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.