Books have always played a very special role in my life. As a young child I loved to read and that continues to this day. I have passed my love of books on to my children, as they have to their children. So it is with great admiration that I present an outstanding woman whose books have captured the imagination of young children everywhere.
Brianna Caplan Sayres is a bestselling author of children’s books. Her series, “Where Do Diggers Sleep At Night,” published by Random House has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. I can personally attest that my two grandsons, ages 5 and 7, are huge fans of Brianna. Here is a partial list of some of her books: https://bookshop.org/lists/picture-books-by-brianna-caplan-sayres
Brianna is a graduate of Brandeis University and Bank Street College of Education, and she is an award-winning Jewish educator who received the 2016 Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She lives in Seattle and is the mother of two young sons who have often given her inspiration. Brianna’s author website: http://www.BriannaCaplanSayres.com
Brianna’s latest endeavor has been received with great excitement. Brianna is now Founder and Editor of Intergalactic Afikoman, a new Jewish children’s book publishing company whose mission is to create “out-of-this-world Jewish books for today’s Jewish kids.” Intergalactic Afikoman’s website: http://www.IntergalacticAfikoman.com
“Asteroid Goldberg: Passover in Outer Space” by Brianna Caplan Sayres with illustrations by Merrill Rainey is among the first books published by Intergalactic Afikoman. Brianna is thrilled and honored that her out-of-this-world Passover fantasy was listed as one of the best Jewish children’s books of 2020 by Marjorie Ingall in Tablet Magazine. The premise – a young Jewish girl gets stuck in outer space for Passover so she plans a celestial seder. “Such a Library! A Yiddish Folktale Re-Imagined” by Jill Ross Nadler and illustrated by Esther van den Berg contains many wonderful and funny details hidden in Esther’s illustrations. “DIJ – Do It Jewish: Use Your Jewish Creativity!” by award-winning Jewish children’s book author Barbara Bietz and illustrated by Daria Grinevich is a Jewish creativity mentor in a book for the creative Jewish child in your life. And a book coming out in the Fall of 2021, “Fighting Climate Change Is A Mitzvah,” will profile young Jewish climate activists including Brianna’s own 14 year old son.
“The primary goal of Intergalactic Afikoman is readability,” says Sayres. “We are aiming to publish books that children re-read again and again. Our goal is to publish the absolutely best quality of Jewish children’s literature.”
Creative and original books such as these are vital for today’s young Jewish children so they can develop a love of reading and should be available in every library.
By The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter, Sharon Elster, Editor