Book Descriptions
for Osnat and Her Dove by Sigal Samuel and Vali Mintzi
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
As a child, Osnat Barzani persuaded her rabbi father to teach her to read Hebrew and study Torah. A Kurdish Jew born in 1590 in Mosul, Iraq, Osnat’s scholarly skills and interests were unusual for a girl of her time. As an adult, she married a man named Jacob on the condition that he excuse her from chores so that she might continue her Torah study. After her father’s death, Osnat became a teacher at his yeshiva, and when Jacob died years later, she filled Jacob’s position. A respected and beloved teacher, Osnat was also considered a miracle worker. When her pet dove was struck by a hunter’s arrow, she healed it. In another astonishing event, she seemed to call upon angels to preserve the Torah scrolls inside a synagogue that had been engulfed in flames. Richly colored gouache illustrations fittingly walk a fine line between realistic and fantastical in this fascinating story about a groundbreaking historical woman whose deeds are remembered mostly in legends. (Ages 7-10)
CCBC Choices 2022. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2022. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Canadian Jewish Literary Award Winner
National Jewish Book Award Finalist
Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids
School Library Journal Best of the Year
Tablet Best of the Year
★ "A vibrant life story, with imagined conversations and brilliant illustrations, that will find a home in every collection"--School Library Journal (starred review)
★ "This dynamic and respectful picture book envisions the life of a prominent 17th-century Jewish leader who defied gender norms."--Shelf-Awareness (starred review)
"A rich portrait of an early female Jewish hero."--Publishers Weekly
"Osnat and Her Dove is an inspiring story of a young Jewish hero, filled with wonderful cultural, religious and historical detail. It's a testament to the power of knowledge and the importance of parental support."--BookPage
Osnat was born five hundred years ago - at a time when almost everyone believed in miracles. But very few believed that girls should learn to read.
Yet Osnat's father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books. And she convinced him to teach her. Then she in turn grew up to teach others, becoming a wise scholar in her own right, the world's first female rabbi!
Some say Osnat performed miracles - like healing a dove who had been shot by a hunter! Or saving a congregation from fire!
But perhaps her greatest feat was to be a light of inspiration for other girls and boys; to show that any person who can learn might find a path that none have walked before.
Canadian Jewish Literary Award Winner
National Jewish Book Award Finalist
Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids
School Library Journal Best of the Year
Tablet Best of the Year
★ "A vibrant life story, with imagined conversations and brilliant illustrations, that will find a home in every collection"--School Library Journal (starred review)
★ "This dynamic and respectful picture book envisions the life of a prominent 17th-century Jewish leader who defied gender norms."--Shelf-Awareness (starred review)
"A rich portrait of an early female Jewish hero."--Publishers Weekly
"Osnat and Her Dove is an inspiring story of a young Jewish hero, filled with wonderful cultural, religious and historical detail. It's a testament to the power of knowledge and the importance of parental support."--BookPage
Osnat was born five hundred years ago - at a time when almost everyone believed in miracles. But very few believed that girls should learn to read.
Yet Osnat's father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books. And she convinced him to teach her. Then she in turn grew up to teach others, becoming a wise scholar in her own right, the world's first female rabbi!
Some say Osnat performed miracles - like healing a dove who had been shot by a hunter! Or saving a congregation from fire!
But perhaps her greatest feat was to be a light of inspiration for other girls and boys; to show that any person who can learn might find a path that none have walked before.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.