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Leslie Kimmelman is the author of many well-regarded picture books, including Everybody Says Shalom, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah, and The Rabbi Slurps Spaghetti. She is also a book editor at Sesame Workshop. She lives in New York.<p><b>The neighborhood blintz maker is injured right before the blintz holiday, Shavuot.</b></p><p>Mr. Mintz (light-skinned, with a curly ginger mop) is a neighborly gent. He carries groceries, puts out milk for the cats, and, most importantly, is always there with a bite to eat. A "marvelous cook," Mr. Mintz gives away most of what he prepares to his neighbors.--soup for the sniffly, latkes on Hanukkah, challah for Shabbat, and gooey, tasty blintzes for the spring holiday of Shavuot. But the day before Shavuot, Mr. Mintz takes a tumble off his skateboard. He's going to be OK, but who will make the "cheesy, and apple-y . . .gooey and delicious" blintzes for the neighborhood? Why, the neighbors, of course! When Mr. Mintz returns from the hospital on crutches, his neighbors are all there to bring him hot tea, kittens,--and blintzes. <b>Mr. Mintz's neighbors, nameless and lacking in cultural markers, have a wide variety of skin tones and facial features in the cartoon art. It's up to the reader to decide whether this gentle, community-minded tale depicts a racially diverse Jewish neighborhood, a neighborhood where people are happy to celebrate other cultures' traditions, or both.</b> An author's note provides a two-sentence reference for the religious aspect of the holiday, but returns to the focus on food with a blintz recipe. <i>(This book was reviewed digitally)</i></p><b></b><p><b><b>"A cozy tale of friendship, mutual aid, neighborliness, and tasty, tasty food." </b></b></p><p><b><b><i>--Kirkus Reviews</i></b><br /></b></p><p><b><b><br /></b></b></p><b><b>Everyone in the neighborhood loves Mr. Mintz.</b> He’s friendly,
generous, and helpful; he remembers everyone’s birthday, rakes leaves, and
shovels snow when needed; he brings homemade soup to a sick neighbor
and delivers latkes on Hanukkah and challah on Shabbat. But Mr. Mintz is
most famous for his sweet and savory, gooey and delicious Shavuot blintzes.
When he breaks his leg skateboarding just before the holiday, his neighbors
surprise him by working together to make the blintzes.<b>Cute, expressive cartoon illustrations depict
a diverse contemporary neighborhood</b>, with added speech bubbles used
to enhance the text. The text mentions that "Shavuot celebrates the
giving of the Torah to the Jewish people," and the appended author’s note
further explains that "because the Torah is said to be nourishing,
like milk, many people celebrate Shavuot by eating dairy foods such as
cheese, ice cream, and blintzes."</b><p></p><p>
<b><b>The strength of Mr. Mintz’s Blintzes is in how it
illustrates in a fun way the Jewish values of chesed (kindness)
and visiting the sick.</b> There are similar versions of the story told about
other times of year in picture books, some examples being The Cholent
Brigade by Michael Herman, illustrated by Sharon Harmer (Kar-Ben, 2017), Chik
Chak Shabbat by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker (Candlewick, 2016),
and The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Sandy Nichols
(Kids Can Press, 2018). </b></p><b><b><i>--Michal Malen, The Jewish Book Council</i></b></b><p></p><p><b><b><br /></b></b></p>
Bank Street College "Best Children's Books of the Year," 2023 Edition
Mr. Mintz is famous in his neighborhood for cooking up cheesy, gooey, and delicious blintzes. Each spring he shares them with his friends to celebrate to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. But when he hurts his leg in a skateboarding accident and is unable to cook, what will become of the blintzes?
Join in as Mr. Mintz's neighbors collaborate to return the kindnesses he has so generously distributed to them over the years.
An author's note for families includes a short explanation of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.