Bring Back the Babka

“Bring Back the Babka” by Marilyn Wolpin, illustrated by Madison Safer, tells the story of two brothers and their dog who go in search of their mother’s missing just-baked babka. They travel from person to person, home to home, learning about other wonderful foods along the way. They also learn about each food and the words of wisdom that go along with each, including how each one is much like life, in different ways. The end of the book does a nice job tying it all together by incorporating information about all of the various types of Jewish delicacies that the other people in the story are making when the boys come looking for their mother’s babka. From Rachel’s cholent and apple cake to Gabby’s grape leaves and bourekas, on to Faye’s gefilte fish and fruit compote and the rabbi’s mandelbrot, there is something for everyone, no matter the tradition that started it all. The recipe to make the missing babka wraps up the book and encourages readers to delve deeper into the story by trying out some of the very dish they helped the characters search for as they read.

The story is one of kindness, warmth, and love, within a family and a community. The illustrations deepen the meaning that the story conveys and allow readers to feel “at home” within the storytelling.