Shani's Shoebox

Once it was a box of shoes,now it’s a box of memories. When Shani is given new shoes for Rosh Hashanah, she doesn’t throw away the old shoebox, she reuses it for different Jewish festivals throughout the year – Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B’Shvat, Purim, Passover, Yom HaAtzma’ut, Lag B’Omer, Shavuot – until she gets new shoes on Rosh Hashanah again. This is a clever and original story by an award-winning author and illustrator, which will inspire kids to get creative while learning about different festival celebrations. Perfect for 4 to 8-year-olds.

Hoffer, Rinat

Religion & Spirituality

Green Bean Books

Winner of The Hadassah Prize for Children’s Literature 2003 and The Israel Museum Prize for Illustration 2004 ‘So captivatingly beautiful . . . it’s worthy of some kind of supreme seal of quality.’ Yael Dar, Haaretz This magical tale follows a little girl named Alona on her journey through a windswept park. As she rests under a tree to eat an apple, a golden leaf falls from the branches above. This leaf is different to all the others. It’s heart-shaped, and it protects Alona from the pouring rain. But does this enchanted leaf belong to her? And will she keep her new treasure or help it find its way home? Shira Geffen's delicate, vivid and moving fantasy, perfectly illustrated by Polonsky's intricate pictures, is one of the most beautiful children’s books to ever appear. A touching and poetic story for 4–8-year-olds.

The Heart-Shaped Leaf

Children's Books

Geffen, Shira

Literature & Fiction

Fig's life at school is perfectly normal: he's sure his science teacher hates him, his dad is forcing him to attend barmitzvah classes because his mum would have wanted it, and he's just been passed over for the football team in favor of Gus Starks, a ball hog and a bully.And, as if Fig's life needed one more complication, his grandmother Gigi is unexpectedly coming to stay with him and his dad for a while. As Gig helps Fig navigate the obstacles of school and a tough football season, Fig comes to understand some important things: about his religion, about his family, and about Fig himself.Echo Still is a sports story about refusing to give up on one's dreams regardless of the obstacles. It's a school story, about an ordinary 12-year-old boy dealing with the everyday challenges of growing up. But most compellingly, Echo Still offers a moving depiction of the healing power of a grandmother's love.Infused with Jewish values and affection for Jewish rituals and holidays, this novel will certainly appeal to Jewish communities everywhere, but the deep humanity of Echo Still will resonate with readers of all backgrounds.

Echo Still: Is There More to Life than Making the Team?

Tibbitts, Tim

The Sages of Chelm and the Moon

Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of Chelm – the city of wise fools celebrated in Jewish folklore. According to legend, Chelm was populated by preposterously silly townsfolk. There are numerous tales of their idiotic exploits and the most famous is the story of the people of Chelm and the moon… The people of Chelm have a problem. They love to walk the streets at night under the light of the radiant moon. But every now and then, the moon disappears from the sky and they can’t find their way home. Perhaps someone is stealing it, or maybe it’s hiding on purpose? Being very clever, the wise people of Chelm know exactly what they must do. They will buy a brand-new moon – one that will shine clear and bright every night. But will everything go according to plan? Shlomo Abbas retells the story with a perfect comic touch and Omer Hoffmann illustrates the tale beautifully. For 4–8-year-olds.

Abas, Shlomo

Young Akiva was a goat-herd. He was good at his job and content with his life, except for one thing – he had never learnt to read. One fateful day he decided it was time to change this… This is the inspirational story of Rabbi Akiva’s personal journey from poor goat-herd to a leading scholar. Elegant prose from renowned author Shoham Smith and striking illustrations from award-winning artist Vali Mintzi illuminate this beautiful and universal tale about how it’s never too late to learn.

Signs in the Well

Biographies & Memoirs

Smith, Shoham

Leaders & Notable People

Rinat, Hoffer

Shira Geffen's beautiful and poetic story follows a little girl, Alona, on her journey home through a windswept park. She rests under a tree and eats an apple and, with each bite, a leaf falls off the tree. One of the leaves is different from the others - it is an enchanted, heart-shaped leaf, and it drops onto Alona's head and clings to her braid. The magical leaf protects her from the lead and she arrives home completely dry. Her father is waiting for her at home. He plucks the leaf out of her braid and serves her a bowl of lentil soup. When Alona gazes into the bowl of soup she sees a tree reflected there. "If you want to drink your soup, give me back my leaf!" says the tree, and tells her that the leaf is its heart, a heart in the shape of a leaf. Alona stands at the window and blows on the leaf, knowing it will find its way back. "Thank you," says the tree, which is still reflected in the soup. Shira Geffen's delicate, vivid and moving fantasy is perfectly illustrated by Polonsky's intricate pictures, full of movement and drawn from many and varied angles. The delicate texture breaks out of each one of them. This is a touching and gentle story, for 4-8 year old readers, with remarkable beauty, gentleness and delicacy.

Shira Geffen

Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of Chelm – the city of wise fools celebrated in Jewish folklore. According to legend, Chelm was populated by preposterously silly townsfolk. There are numerous tales of their idiotic exploits and the most famous is the story of the people of Chelm and the moon…The people of Chelm have a problem. They love to walk the streets at night under the light of the radiant moon. But every now and then, the moon disappears from the sky and they can’t find their way home. Perhaps someone is stealing it, or maybe it’s hiding on purpose? Being very clever, the wise people of Chelm know exactly what they must do. They will buy a brand-new moon – one that will shine clear and bright every night. But will everything go according to plan?Shlomo Abbas retells the story with a perfect comic touch and Omer Hoffmann illustrates the tale beautifully.For 4–8-year-olds.

Shlomo Abas

'You showed us all what a fantastic big brother you are!'As Passover draws near, Eitan is excited about singing the Ma Nishtana - the Four Questions - as he does every year on Seder night. But the Ma Nishtana is supposed to be sung by the youngest at the Seder table and this year, to Eitan's consternation, his little sister Libby finally thinks she is ready for the job.Grandma tries to keep the peace: 'Maybe you could teach your sister to sing the Four Questions?' she suggests to Eitan. 'She can sing next year,' he shrugs. 'Why don't you sing it together?' Grandma tries. But Libby will not hear of it. Despite Eitan's best efforts, Libby stands firm: she is the littlest and she will sing the Mah Nishtana.When Seder night finally arrives, the whole family gather together. They all take turns to read from the Haggadah and, when it is time for the Mah Nishtana, they turn to Libby. She looks nervous: the words don't come out, until Eitan finds himself helping her and she sings her first Mah Nishtana perfectly.Beautifully illustrated and charmingly told, this story celebrates the challenges and joys of family, festivities and the all-important, Four Questions.

Who Will Ask the Four Questions?

Ben-Gur, Naomi

'I plant a fig, I plant a gift. For children, for the coming generations.'When the Emperor Hadrian gallops into the village, its inhabitants hide in fear. All except one. An old man, almost one hundred years old, comes outside to plant a fig tree.Hadrian stops his horse. 'What are you doing?' he asks the old man. 'That tree is so small and you are so old!Surely you won't live long enough to eat its fruit!' The old man responds: 'if I don't then my children will'.Three years later, Hadrian returns. Meeting the old man again, he is shocked to see that the tree has grown and it is covered in figs. The old man's prophecy of gifts for future generations has come true.Recreating one of the Midrash's most beautiful tales, A Basket of Figs teaches the importance of caring for the environment and consideration for our fellow human beings. Ori Alon's enchanting storytelling and Menahem Halberstadt's stunning illustrations bring this wise fable to life on the page, to inspire and delight young readers.

A Basket Full of Figs

Elon, Ori

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Books by Green Bean Books

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Green Bean Books publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Shani's Shoebox

The Heart-Shaped Leaf

Echo Still: Is There More to Life than Making the Team?

The Sages of Chelm and the Moon

Signs in the Well

Shani's Shoebox

The Heart-Shaped Leaf

The Sages of Chelm and the Moon

Who Will Ask the Four Questions?

A Basket Full of Figs