This is a story of radical hope. Yuvi’s Candy Tree (Kar-Ben Books 2011)  is a children’s picture book written by Canadian writer Lesley Simpson.  The book was inspired by Yuvi Tashome, who as a five year old girl, outwitted robbers in her exodus from Ethiopia to a Sudanese refugee camp. The book grew out of an interview Simpson, a Canadian journalist and children’s book writer (lesleysimpson.ca) requested with Yuvi Tashome when she was in North America in 2009, raising awareness and money for the NGO she founded in Israel called Friends by Nature.  When Simpson heard Tashome describe her Biblical-like exodus, it felt to her as if the Haggadah was coming alive before her eyes. She imagined a picture book and then wrote Yuvi’s Candy Tree.

Tucked into a hard-to-find patch of wilderness, where the trees are not trimmed and the plants grow wild, is Jerusalem's Bird Observatory. This patch of urban nature allows the birds to find places to hide from the sun, rain, and other animals.

Tu B’Shevat, though a minor holiday about agriculture in antiquity, has significance in today’s modern world, even though celebrating it during winter in North America requires a little bit of ingenuity. Tu B’Shevat has evolved into an opportunity to celebrate a connection to Israel while promoting environmentalism. Tu B’Shevat provides a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about the importance of a healthy planet, and their roles in carrying on the legacy of a verdant world. 

Reader Dvorah, age 14, recently read The Six-Day Hero by Tammar Stein.