Q&A with Sarah Aroeste

 

Photo by Sarah Kenyon

 

 

Sarah Aroeste is the author of the new children's board book Anyada Buena, Shanah Tovah. Her other books include Uno, Dos, Tres. She is also a musician focusing on Sephardic and Ladino music.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Anyada Buena, Shanah Tovah?

 

A: I love Rosh Hashanah and all its special customs, like blowing the shofar and dipping apples in honey. And in so many Sephardic families, we also bless special foods in a Rosh Hashanah seder. This is a custom that many don’t know about, and I wanted to introduce it in an easy way for the youngest set.

 

There are recent picture books that show a Rosh Hashanah seder (A Turkish Rosh Hashanah by Eitan Basseri, to name one), but no board books that I’m aware of.

 

Board books are such an important medium to expose young children and their caregivers to new concepts; they’re often the first entry point for families to learn about Jewish customs. In terms of language acquisition, board books give repetition to words and phrases that we hope will stick in a child’s mind.

 

I believe it is critical to normalize Ladino language right alongside Hebrew and Yiddish. Why not learn to say Anyada buena along with Shanah tovah when learning about the Jewish new year?

 

Q: What do you think Maria Mola’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: I have admired Maria’s work for such a long time. Her illustrations for Lesléa Newman’s Sparkle Boy are just stunning and I’ve followed her work since then. Her artwork in Anyada Buena, Shanah Tovah is so gentle and soft, and is the perfect touch for this quiet, lovely book. She hits the note just right.

 

Q: What was the inspiration for your song Anyada Buena?

A: I wrote the song in 2017 as part of a bilingual (Ladino/English) holiday album I released, Together/Endjuntos. I traced the Hebrew calendar and wrote new songs for 10 holidays that families could enjoy together.

 

When I think of Rosh Hashanah, I think of family. The last verse of the song wishes that your heart be filled with la famiya (family), and that you start a new page “en el livro de la vida” (the book of life). The song is my blessing to listeners for a sweet new year – with family at its core. I hope that’s reflected in the book as well!

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

 

A: I hope they get a peaceful, joyful feeling from the book. And more than anything, I hope they learn to recognize the ladino Anyada buena greeting.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have another book coming out in the fall that is very different – it’s a complete upside down, nonsense book! Bavajadas: That’s Just Silly isn’t meant to teach a concept or have a bigger message. It is truly just to have silly fun together.

 

I took one of my favorite Ladino words, bavajadas, which literally means “nonsense” and wrote a whole book around that. It’s Jewish Ladino joy! 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I’ve loved and appreciated many books for kids with Sephardic content in the last few years – and there certainly has been an increase! But we still need more books that show Sephardic life in contemporary settings. There is so much more to our culture than the Inquisition.

 

Of course, we need those books to shed light on many important people and historical events, but we also need stories that show the vibrancy of Sephardic families today. I hope that my children’s books demonstrate that.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Sarah Aroeste.