I am thrilled today to be part of a blog tour to celebrate the Sydney Taylor Book Award Finalists. Each of us on the blog tour will be interviewing one award recipient. I am thrilled to be talking to Shoshana Nambi, author of The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda.

I am also grateful to have received a copy of The Very Best Sukkah prior to its release and have reviewed the book as an unboxing video, on my list of 10 Best Picture Books About Africa, and on Contemporary #OwnVoices Jewish Books.

The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda by Shoshana Nambi, illustrated by Moran Yogev, published by Kalaniot Books, an imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing Company

It is a wonderful picture book. My highest compliment for a picture book is when it moves me emotionally as well as teaches me about something that I didn’t know. This book does both. And then it does that extra special thing in that you can stop thinking about it. It leaves a warm and permanent impression on you, thus becoming part of your personal canon of books. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Let’s talk to author Shoshana Nambi!

Q1: What was your inspiration behind The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda?

My inspiration for writing The Very Best Sukkah was my family and my Jewish community in Uganda. I grew up with grandparents who loved to tell stories. They would take turns telling my brothers and me folk stories about lions and hyenas, firewood gatherers in deep forests, and the bird with the most beautiful voice, among others. They used every opportunity to come up with stories with teaching messages, usually about working hard, respecting elders, and being nice to each other.

One of my favorite childhood memories is the “big walk” I would take with my brothers, friends, and the entire Jewish community to view other people’s sukkot. People decorated their sukkahs to appear the best for the “walk.” There was a little bit of informal discussion on whose sukkah was the best, but it was not a real competition. Although the people came to one sukkah at the end, we ensured we visited every sukkah and sampled all the foods they put out for us. When Lili Rosenstreich from Kalaniot Books reached out after hearing me tell this story, I wanted to write a story of a community that works together and of a young spirited Shoshi who was loved by her family and learned from a young age from her community that we all win when we work together.

Q2: Did you get to interact with the illustrator, Moran Yogev, during the creation of your picture book?

Moran and I and the publisher, Lili Rosenstreich, went back and forth via email about the illustration. We wanted to ensure her beautiful illustrations captured the Ugandan Jewish community, beauty, scenery, and even people’s physical features. Moran did a fantastic job!
Q3: Have you traveled to Uganda?

I try to travel back home with my daughter every summer during school break. It feels so good being home with our family and friends and eating our favorite Ugandan food: Kalo, matooke, G.nut sauce, and yams, among so many other delicacies. Hearing Jewish prayers and psalms sung in tunes and melodies that I grew up with keeps me grounded. The community has composed melodies to most of our daily worship psalms and prayers, which are infused with Ugandan rhythm and sung to drums played by our routine young synagogue goers. This feeling helps keeps me inspired on my journey to become a Rabbi.

Q4: How did you celebrate winning the Sydney Taylor Honor Picture Book?

Sharing the news of this honor with my family and friends was such a privilege.

Q5: What’s next for you?

I hope to continue sharing more stories from home and my experiences—stories of kindness, hope, resilience, joy, and celebrations.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award will be showcasing its 2023 gold and silver medalists with a Blog Tour, February 6-10, 2023! Interviews with winning authors and illustrators will appear on a variety of Jewish and KidLit blogs. Interviews will appear on the dates below and will remain available to read at your own convenience.

Thanks for joining me on this Sydney Taylor Book Award blog stop. I hope that you will also check out the other stops on this tour!

Below is the schedule for the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour. Please follow the links to visit the hosting blogs on or after their tour dates, and be sure to leave them plenty of comments!

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2023

Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal, author and illustrator of The Tower of Life
Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Picture Book Category
at 100 Scope Notes at School Library Journal

Mari Lowe, author of Aviva vs. the Dybbuk
Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Middle Grade Category
at A Fuse #8 Production at School Library Journal

Sacha Lamb, author of When the Angels Left the Old Country
Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Young Adult Category
at Out of the Box at The Horn Book

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023

Erin Silver, author of Sitting Shiva
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Picture Book Category
at Jewish Books for Kids…And More!

Sarah Darer Littman, author of Some Kind of Hate
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Young Adult Category
at Good Reads with Ronna

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Paul Martin, widower of Paula Cohen Martin, author of Big Dreams, Small Fish
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Picture Book Category
at Picture Books Help Kids Soar

Shoshana Nambi and Moran Yogev, author and illustrator of The Very Best Sukkah
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Picture Book Category
at Pragmatic Mom

Meira Drazin, author of Honey and Me
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Middle Grade Category
at The Whole Megillah

Hannah Reynolds, author of Eight Nights of Flirting
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Young Adult Category
at Watch.Connect.Read

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023

Sofiya Pasternack, author of Black Bird, Blue Road
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Middle Grade Category
at From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors

A.J. Sass, author of Ellen Outside the Lines
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Middle Grade Category
at Bookishly Jewish

Jennieke Cohen, author of My Fine Fellow
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Young Adult Category
at Paper Brigade Daily at The Jewish Book Council

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Blog Tour Wrap-Up at The Children’s Book Podcast

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My books:

BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.

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