The Charlotte Jewish News - March 2021 - Page 7
~ Miss Debby’s Bookshelf ~ Best-loved Children’s Books By Miss Debby
Celebrating Jewish Tradition: “Sarah’s Solo” by Tracy Brown
Debby Block
By Debby Block We all have to do things — as children and as adults — that we would prefer to avoid. More often than not, when we accept the inevitable, we usually relish the new experience. Tracy Brown’s debut children’s picture book “Sarah’s Solo” helps children explore just this dilemma through the eyes of a little girl. Sarah is all ready for a dance recital she has prepared for over several months only to find out that she must miss the dance recital to attend her cousin’s wedding. As you can imagine, Sarah is angry and disappointed. In the end, Sarah learns to dance the “Hava Nagila” at the wedding and has a wonderful time and even dances a solo. As a librarian, I am constantly looking for books that depict life-cycle events in the Jewish tradition. Brown’s book is one of very few children’s picture books that highlights a Jewish wedding and celebrates its joyous traditions. I love that “Sarah’s Solo” is accessible to anyone, no matter what the reader’s level of Jewish knowledge. And though the book is easily understandable for all, Brown and the publishers have added a list of vocabulary in the back for those who would like to explore Jewish wedding traditions in further depth. Although I believe that “Sarah’s Solo” will appeal primarily to girls, I love that author Tracy Brown explores the very human reaction of disappointment and frustration. I am keenly aware that both boys and girls often face this frustration when Jewish holidays, events, or even religious school supersedes their other activities. About author, Tracy Brown: An integral part of Charlotte’s Jewish leadership, Tracy Brown is now also the author of her first picture book “Sarah’s Solo.”
Currently, Tracy splits her time between Charlotte and Vail, Colorado, with her husband, Larry. She has three children — Sammy, Annie, and Katie — who live scattered across the country. Tracy currently sits on the Executive Board of the Jewish Book Council and has served as the chair of the Children’s Literature Panel. Interview with author Tracy Brown: Debby Block: What inspired you to write “Sarah’s Solo?” Tracy Brown: I feel it is essential to “write what you know.” Jewish culture and family are very important to me. But I also realized that my children missed many activities because they were Jewish. I wanted children everywhere to know that something good can come from Jewish practices and cultural experiences and that sometimes disappointment can turn to a truly joyous experience. DB: Is Sarah’s experience based on one of your daughter’s? TB: No, actually, it is based on a friend’s daughter’s experience. But, of course, my own children have had many times when they had to miss sports or birthday parties because of Jewish holidays or events. DB: How long did it take you to write “Sarah’s Solo?” TB: It took me approximately two months to write this book as part of my graduate studies at Stony Brook University, where I was fortunate enough to be mentored by Heidi Stemple. And then it took two more months to work with my publisher. DB: Is this your first book? TB: Yes, this is the first children’s picture book to be published. But interestingly, I used to write small books for my stu-
Tracy Brown
dents at the Jewish Preschool on Sardis. DB: What are some of your memories of reading to your children? TB: I was always reading to my children! I even built a collection of books for each child based on each one’s name. So we had lots of books about Sammy (including Sammy Spider) and lots of books about girls named Annie and Katie. DB: What was your favorite Jewish book as a child? TB: You know, I don’t remember too many books with Jewish content when I was very
young. It wasn’t until I was a teen that I remember Jewish books with Jewish content. Today, there is a large variety of books that depict Jewish culture and traditions, and I am proud to have supported Jewish children’s books by serving on the Children’s Literature panel of the Jewish Book Council. DB: And now you are adding to the richness of Jewish literature available for children! So what’s next? Do you have another book in the works?
TB: Yes, I am working on another picture book about my grandmother’s rugelach recipe that gets lost. We recommend this book for 3- to 8-year-olds along with early readers in grades one and two. Coming out this month, “Sarah’s Solo” will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, JKBAC. com, and many other retailers. You may also borrow a copy of the book from the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library.
