Tashlich at Turtle Rock
On Rosh Hashanah, Annie leads her family on a hike in order to perform tashlich, the ritual of throwing crumbs into flowing water to symbolically cast away sins from the old year. In a ceremony customized by her family, Annie directs her brother and parents to four waterfront sites where they remember good things, discard something regrettable, make a promise for the coming year, and enjoy apples dipped in honey and a prayer. Throughout, the authors emphasize environmental awareness (the symbolic discards, except for bread, are all found objects along the trail), and Steele-Morgan’s boldly colored and heavily textured illustrations highlight the rich colors of autumn. An authors’ note explains how tashlich is traditionally performed and encourages families to establish their own observances. Handled with a light touch, this is secular enough to make it useful for general as well as religious collections. A good addition to multicultural units on New Year’s customs, this will also be popular with families. Grades K-3. --Kay Weisman--This text refers to theSchool & Library Bindingedition.