Avital the Pirate

"When Avital's great uncle, the Pirate Brownbeard, visits shortly before Rosh Hashanah, she joins him for an adventure. At first she has fun sharing culture with the pirates. She blows the shofar for them and they teach her some pirate songs. The author Pamela Moritz mentions kid-friendly titles of a couple of pirate standards that are sure to make older readers laugh. But when she finds out that the pirates plan to steal treasure from other people, Avital lectures her uncle that stealing is wrong. And when they run across a ship with an elderly crew, she stresses that it is a mitzvah to respect old people. She teaches the crew ways to enjoy themselves without hurting people. The cute colorful illustrations by Damien Jones show a ship full of smiling pirates having fun. The bright, bold artwork uses a vivid palette that adds to the cheery mood. Avital even teaches the crew to clean up after themselves!

The story takes place right before Rosh Hashanah. With important lessons on how to live righteously, as well as some Jewish elements like shofar blowing, mitzvahs, and cooking matzah ball soup, this cute story is ideal for Jewish youngsters and can be enjoyed at any time of year.

Although primarily aimed at Jewish children, the afterward makes this book approachable to any child. The author begins with an inclusive premise by saying that we all act like pirates some of the time and could improve our behavior. This is followed by a section with some Jewish terms and includes a paragraph about Rosh Hashanah. It points out that the Jewish New Year is a time when we think about our behavior during the past year and how we might improve in the year to come. If pirates can change their ways, then anyone can improve their behavior.

I recommend this story for Jewish children at Rosh Hashanah or year round, and to any pirate loving youngster." —Julie Ditton, Sydney Taylor Shmooze

"Avital the Pirate is a whimsical story about a young Jewish girl who tries to teach her pirate Great-Uncle Brownbeard and his crew about using their talents in positive ways. Avital is determined to teach the pirate games, manners, and how to treat others while gently respecting their pirate ways. The story illustrates basic life and often difficult relationships while providing a mechanism for change and growth. The setting is just prior to Rosh Hashanah and includes simple lessons on how to live justly and honorably with mention of the Jewish customs of shofar blowing, mitzvot, and traditional foods. Although Avital has loved her adventure, she desperately wants to be with her family for Rosh Hashanah, and the crew makes sure she is home for the holiday as they acknowledge the importance of family. The basic lesson is that this is the time for all of us to consider and evaluate our behavior over the past year and make changes for improvement. If pirates can transform their behavior, then certainly we can all work to do so.

The illustrations are bold and colorful and help the reader follow the pirates’ way of life and adventures. There is a small glossary at the end explaining the Jewish terms and some fun facts about pirates. It’s a silly but very fun story that will delight young readers." —Association of Jewish Libraries