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What does it mean to be a good person?

That’s the question considered in Estie the Mensch (Random House, 2011) a picture book written by Jane Kohuth and illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger.

Estie is a shy girl who is much more comfortable hanging out with animals than humans and enjoys nothing more than pretending to be everything from a dog to a monkey to a fly. Most of the time, her family enjoys her antics, but sometimes, when they’ve had enough, they say, “Estie, be a mensch.”

“Mensch” is a Yiddish term that means to be human. But not just any human, rather, a person of integrity and honor.

Estie isn’t sure exactly how to do this. Until a day at the zoo. After amusing a friend by imitating everything from a snake to an ostrich, Estie discovers that, in some situations, acting like a kind human being is the best thing to do.

Holly says she trioes to be a mensch in the ballet and hip-hop dance classes she takes. Not only does she try to be friendly to her classmates, she also walks like a lady.

Holly also shared her other thoughts about the book. Take it away, Holly!

Our reviewer: Holly

Age: 8

Things I like to do: Dance, swim and play with my dogs — Mystic and Pepper.

This book was about: A little girl named Estie who liked animals and acted like them. Her parents always told her to, “Be a mensch,”  or to behave like a lady. She went to the zoo with her grandma and her grandma’s friend and a boy named Petie. She acted like the animals there and made Petie laugh. Then Petie dropped his ice cream and Estie scooped some off her cone to give to him.

The best part was when: When Estie acted like all the animals in the zoo. But she really couldn’t stretch her neck as far as an ostrich does.

I smiled when: She gave part of her ice-cream to Petie.

I was worried when: Petie dropped his ice cream. I thought he would be upset and just sit and cry, but Estie helped him.

This book taught me: Not to be afraid of animals. To love the animals you love. Oh, and to share.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Fun.” “Creative.” “Adventurous.”

My favorite line or phrase in the book: “Estie, be a mensch.” Her mom and dad said it all the time.

Other kids reading this book should watch for: What they can do to be nice to animals and to your friends.

You should read this book because: It teaches you some words in a different language. You can learn more about sharing and animals.

Thanks, Holly!

If you’d like to know more about author Jane Kohuth, you can visit her webpage , read this interview or read this other interview.

If you’d like to know more about illustrator Rosanne Litzinger, you can read her biography.

Here are some other reviews of Estie:

• Picture Book Reviews.
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This is Holly, my new pup and muse. She my be appearing in a new book that I have been contracted to do for release in Feb 2012.
see my blog flowersink to follow this book from now until it's finished. I plan to put up a lot of my working sketches and variations on pages as the project developes.

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You didn't think you would leave San Francisco without seeing me, she said, and afterward I thought how impossible that would have been. Not seeing this brilliant writer and photographer and fearless adventurer, not braving the wind with her. We could have had tea, or hot chocolate, or something sweet. She chose, instead, to invite me into the Grace Cathedral, high on the hill, where the voices of four cantors filled the stone hollow, and where there were candles to be lit, for those we loved. The candles were our prayer, she said. They were our bridge, our friendship.

Later, we posed like the Beatles in the street. We posed like kick-line dancers on the wide walk of a hill, just ahead of its steep.

Don't we get to be happy, Cathy?
At some point down the line
Don't we get to relax?
Without some new tsuris
To push me yet further from you?

If I'm cheering on your side, Cathy
Why can't you support mine?
Why do I have to feel
I've committed some felony
Doing what I always swore I would do?

I don't want you to hurt
I don't want you to sink
But you know what I think?

I think you'll be fine
Just hang on and you'll see
But don't make me wait 'til you do
To be happy with you
Will you listen to me?

No one can give you courage
No one can thicken your skin
I will not fail so you can be comfortable, Cathy
I will not lose because you can't win

- selected lyrics from If I Didn't Believe in You from the musical The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown

Listen to the song as performed by Norbert Leo Butz on the official soundtrack.

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View all posts tagged as The Last Five Years.

Consult the Poetry Friday roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

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