One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor

Growing up in a poor family of Jewish immigrants on New York’s Lower East Side, Sydney Taylor, born Sarah Brenner (1904–1978), has a strong sense of self and purpose. Dropping the “shy and old-fashioned” name Sarah at 14 in favor of “modern” Sydney, she immerses herself in an art scene intertwined with socialist causes, finds her soulmate in Ralph Taylor, and—when their daughter wonders why the books they read are only about Christian children—writes stories of her own girlhood. Subdued digital gouache drawings by Greene are largely reportorial, but if this picture book biography feels at times visually restrained given the passion and persistence of its subject, it’s also laudable for honestly portraying success as a long time coming: it was only after WWII, “when maybe the world is finally ready to celebrate all customs and cultures,” Michelson writes, that All-of-a-Kind Family—“the first Jewish children’s book to become popular with non-Jewish readers,” per a note—is published. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note concludes. Ages 7–10. [em](Feb.) [/em]