Sweet Babe! A Jewish Grandma Kvells

How does one Jewish grandmother dote on a toddler grandchild? With theatrical flourish (“Look. At. This. BABY!!”), absolute conviction (“You’re a genius”), and affectionate irony (“OY, you’re so sweet, I have a toothache”). But most of all, via lots of Yiddish words, including bubbeleh, ketzleleh, hertzeleh, and terms that present a full accounting of the baby’s features. Making her authorial debut, Rosenthal brings this laugh-out-loud linguistic breakdown to life through the broadly cartooned interplay between a pale-skinned grandmother and grandchild, portrayed in distilled single-plane spreads. Beginning and ending with a game of peekaboo, it’s a work truly focused on unadulterated kvelling, expressing cross-generational love through two sets of wide eyes and operatic text that speaks to an unalloyed bond. A glossary concludes. Ages 2–5. (Feb.)