Everybody Says Shalom

As she did with Paris in Everybody Bonjours!, Kimmelman takes readers on an upbeat tour of Israel, propelled by crisp, clever rhymes: “Everybody says shalom/ in a shuk... or catacomb./ Two by two, in the zoo./ Viewing tiny tiles of blue.” (A pink gecko, who readers can spot tucked away in Shipman’s cheery illustrations, explains that, because shalom can mean hello, goodbye, and peace, “It’s a little word with a lot to say.”) Sidestepping any intimation of conflict or controversy, the story speeds along, following a visiting family’s explorations of Israel’s historical structures, leisure activities, and holy sites, which are discussed in greater detail in an afterword. Ages 3–7. Illustrator’s agency: Lilla Rogers Studio. (Jan.)