Jennifer Wharton is a Round I Judge for Fiction Picture Books this year, though you may remember her from last year's Easy Readers and Short Chapter Books panel. Jennifer is a Youth Services Librarian in Wisconsin and she blogs about books and library programs at Jean Little Library, which is named for her personal collection of over 2,000 books.
Earlier this month, she blogged about FPB nominee Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to be Kosher, written by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by David Goldin. Although it seems hard to imagine "pig" and "kosher" in the same sentence, Snyder has created an endearing character in Baxter. Says Jennifer in her review:
This story is an excellent introduction to several major elements of Jewish tradition and culture….I've been looking at various books introducing different elements of religious and cultural groups and this one, I think, is the best I've seen so far.
Click here to read the full review.