An intergenerational friendship between a girl and her older neighbor showcases courage in kindness and the value of building community Mabel's Mitzvah is a warm, funny, and deeply relatable picture book that celebrates kindness, empathy, and the courage it takes to reach out. With Mitzvah Day right around the corner, Mabel Maguire is determined to find the perfect good deed to help her class win a prize. She notices her neighbor, Mrs. Horowitz, always seems to be alone. Is Mrs. Horowitz lonely? Mabel thinks befriending the older woman would be the perfect mitzvah. What follows is an authentic, intergenerational friendship that blossoms slowly and sweetly. Through small acts of care-a gift of baked goods, a scraggly bouquet of flowers, and simple time together- Mabel breaks through Mrs. Horowitz's defenses. As their afternoons fill with shared stories and chocolate rugelach, both discover that the connection they're building is far more meaningful than any Mitzvah Day prize. Mabel's Mitzvah Tells the story of a young girl who befriends her older neighbor, inspired by the author's daughter and a neighbor Encourages children to consider the importance of kindness, empathy, courage, and community Highlights the beauty of bringing joy to others through mitzvot, an important Jewish value Includes a note from the author, ideas for doing mitzvot, and a rugelach recipe A seed of kindness grows into a beautiful friendship in this heartfelt story that reminds readers of all ages that reaching out can change everything.
Lisa Cloherty is an award-winning writer of children's books and a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Her favorite mitzvah is restocking the shelves of the Little Free Library on her street. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science from Northeastern. She's the author of Katie Spector the Art Collector, Terrance the Hothead: A book to help children manage big feelings, which was a finalist for the 2023 Crystal Kite Award and won a 2023 AM&P Network EXCEL Award, and Mabel's Mitzvah. Lisa's books have been featured in magazines including Westport Lifestyle, Kirkus Magazine, and the ASHA Leader. Lisa also teaches workshops on writing for early readers. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, and dog Crouton. You can find out more about her upcoming books at lisaclohertybooks.com Yaara Cellier graduated from the Georges Melies School for 2D/3D Animation and Special Effects in Orly, France, and worked as an illustrator in the video game industry in Paris and London before becoming a freelance artist. Yaara's passion for storytelling and drawing characters led her to focus on writing and illustrating children's books. When she's not spending time with her husband and children, Yaara can be found cooped up in her studio with her tablet and headphones or thinking up new ideas for stories while taking long walks on the beach.
