CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

Shoshi, a member of the Abayudaya (Ugandan Jewish) community, learns the importance of slowing down before Shabbat arrives. This Friday is a special one; Shoshi and her grandfather, whom she calls Jajja, are going to town to sell their family’s coffee. Shoshi has waited patiently for the cherries to ripen on the flowering trees and joined her family in picking bucketfuls of them. After shelling, washing, and drying the beans, they are ready to be sold. Shoshi is in a hurry! She has a lot of things to gather for their Shabbat meal. She is frustrated when Jajja takes time to linger on their route with young friends who want to hear his stories, but he insists that “it’s more important to take time for friends” than be first in line at the market. Finally, Shoshi rushes through her shopping and returns home—only to find that she forgot the most important item: the Shabbat candles. Her grandmother offers reassuring words (and locates her special oil lamps). The important thing is not the candles themselves, but the reminder that “there is a light present in each of us,” a light to be shared with the world. As Shoshi hurries to a neighbor’s house to borrow oil, she remembers now to slow down, thank her neighbor, and wish her a Shabbat shalom. This story offers a cheerful reminder that everything happens in its own time, and that time spent connecting with others is never wasted. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Moran Yogev

CCBC Age Recommendation: 4-8
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Abayudaya People Faith, Spirituality and Religion Farming and Farmers Jewish People Ugandans and Ugandan Americans
Diversity subject: Black/African Jewish
On CCBC Booklist: Religion in the Lives of Children and Teens 

Publishers: Kalaniot, Endless Mountains
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781962011051
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Nambi

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