Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

Every Sunday morning, Eli’s grandfather, Zaida (Yiddish for grandfather, as we learn in the short Yiddish glossary and pronunciation guide that precedes the story) brings over bagels for breakfast:

“Warm.
Chewy.
Salty.
Bagels were the best thing about Sunday.”

One Sunday though Zaida didn’t come. It turned out he had slipped and fallen at the bakery. The doctor said Zaida had to rest at home for two weeks. Eli rushed over to see him and was joined by a number of elderly neighbors, who, it turned out, had also been receiving bagels from Zaida every Sunday.

The next week, Eli made a list and went to the bakery himself. He bought Zaida’s usual order, including what Zaida would get for his neighbors. Everyone was delighted, and Zaida proudly declared, “The boy’s no prince - he’s a king. He’s the Bagel King!”

The story ends:

“Warm.
Chewy.
Salty.
Bagels were the best thing about Sunday.
The best thing, that is, except for Zaida.”

Watercolor illustrations by Sandy Nichols have just the right kid-book-look for intended readers age 3-6.

Evaluation: This story is not only a warm portrayal of a young boy’s relationship with and care for his grandfather, but also promotes values like consideration and neighborliness. The author adds humor and information about cultural traditions, and will have you salivating for bagels and cream cheese. ( )

The Bagel King is a wonderful story about family relationships and rituals, spending time with loved ones and paying it forward. When Zaida misses bagel time with Eli one Sunday, Eli finds out that he is hurt. Oy, he fell on his tuches at the bagel shop. It turns out that not only does Zaida deliver bagels to Eli, but he also spends time each Sunday with three of his older friends eating. Eli takes the time to help his grandfather, bringing him chicken soup but realizes that he can do even more.

The illustrations are wonderful. They are colorful, descriptive, and add so much to the story. You can feel what the characters are feeling (i.e. Eli laying over the arm of the couch and the friends downcast expressions). I enjoyed seeing the yiddish words sprinkled throughout the book. They are common enough words, like tuches and oy which have actually made their way into the general English. There was also a short glossary and pronunciation guide at the beginning for any yiddish words that were in the story. This book brings in the multi-cultural aspect as well, with both the illustrations and text. What a great book to be used when learning about other cultures, family relationships and dynamics as well as discussions about treating others well and paying back favours. A great additions to school, class and family libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )

Award-winning author Andrew Larsen's picture book story offers a gently humorous take on the special bond between a boy and his grandfather and the simple ritual that looms so large in their lives.

I love a good bagel story! Some of the most beautiful books I have read and shared are about bagels so when I saw that Andrew Larsen had written a book about bagels, naturally I had to have a look.

Every Sunday, Zaida delivered bagels to Eli, occasionally Eli tagged along but no matter what the weather, Zaida would faithfully deliver bagels right to the front door. One Sunday, however, Zaida slips and falls on some “schmutz” at the bakery and hurts his “tuches” so he won’t be able to do the bagel delivery. How will Eli get his bagels?

Andrew Larsen has created a wonderful story, which I imagine has some basis in actual events as most of his stories do, about kindness, tradition, and community. Larsen includes some wonderful, familiar Yiddish terms to pepper his story with authenticity and feeling, providing translations at the front to help you read out loud. What a lovely story for our kids to remind them of that special grandparent/grandchild relationship and remind them that can be the helpers to their grandparents. I’m a sucker for a good intergenerational story, having such fond memories of my grandparents and the time we spent together when I was a child. The illustrations by Sandy Nichols move the story along and are full of vibrancy and eye catching colour. Rendered in acrylic paint with bold outlines, they have a watery feel that jump straight out of the page. ( )