Heshvan Coloring and Games

"Heshvan Coloring and Games" by Tessa Bloom offers a combination of artistic activities and varied play for children aged 5–9. The book incorporates elements of the Jewish calendar and tradition through engaging tasks. It features opportunities for children to trace the Hebrew month name, color scenes depicting Heshvan weather, navigate a calendar maze, and match symbols associated with Torah stories. The author maintains factual accuracy in religious categories, for instance, identifying Noah and the ark as a Torah narrative rather than scientific history. A source-matching game helps distinguish between different types of Jewish texts and traditions, including Torah, Midrash, Kabbalah, community custom, and Halakha.

The book's content includes activities such as spotting differences in a Shabbat table scene and solving age-appropriate word puzzles. It introduces the Sigd observance of the Beta Israel community of Ethiopian Jewry, emphasizing recognition and understanding. A page dedicated to Rachel provides a gentle textual remembrance, treating her tomb as a site of spiritual tradition. Each visual task within the book aims to develop a different skill, from sequencing and pattern recognition to vocabulary and calendar comprehension. Accompanying notes for adults highlight pages that might prompt discussions on topics like death, rain-related events, or family diversity, and an answer key is provided.