Sam and Charlie (and Sam Too) Return! by Leslie Kimmelman (review)

Neighbors and pals Sam (boy) and Charlie (girl) are back for more fun in this title, along with Charlie’s little sister, Sam Too. Several Jewish holidays—Passover, Hanukkah, and Tu B’Shevat—are quietly included as the background for three of the stories, while the other two focus on snow shoveling and playing in a treehouse. The three kids are likable individuals, and Kimmelman’s simple prose carries a gentle humor. The large font and short sentences combine with a lengthier text and occasionally challenging vocabulary to make this a useful last stop for kids just getting ready to move into beginning chapter books. Owl’s lively color illustrations in slightly smoky, complex hues bring the characters’ features and personalities to the forefront; freckle-faced Sam Too, for example, perpetually wears her carroty hair in two long braids and is clearly attached to her bear-head hat, while Charlie’s darker reddish-brown curls are constantly going every which way. Fans of the first book will definitely want to check in with the trio here, and Jewish readers will likely to again find the casual treatment of the families’ faith refreshing.