Art, Illustration

The preeminent children’s book artist of the twentieth century, Maurice Sendak and his sixty-year career are celebrated in this full-color catalog of more than two hundred images being exhibited at the Society of Illustrators in New York City from June 11–August 17, 2013. Accompanied by twelve essays by such noted scholars and historians as Leonard S. Marcus, Iona Opie, Steven Heller, and Paul O. Zelinsky, Maurice A Celebration of the Artist and His Work showcases the collection of Justin G. Schiller and Dennis M. V. David, prominent authorities on Sendak’s artwork, and is a deeply personal and thoughtful tribute to a seminal artist whose singular vision has captured the imaginations of countless children and grown-ups throughout the world.

This collection of books featuring Jewish main characters is decidedly non-comprehensive. As we come across books that are described as having Jewish main characters, we add them to this database. The creators of the Jewish Genre Reading Challenge have not read all (or even most) of the books in this database. We have gathered information from many sources and not all may be accurate. Inclusion of a book in our database does not imply endorsement or approval. There is always the possibility that antisemitism may be present in a book, either written into a character's experience or through malicious or ignorant caricature or stereotypical portrayal of Jewish characters and culture. Please take care of yourselves as you read. 

PLEASE let us know if you encounter a book in this database that does not have a Jewish main character, if you have corrections or additions for a book's genre categories, or if you have any other concerns about the inclusion of a particular book in this database.