Mazel Toes

Ten tiny reasons to love and feel Jewish joy

Editor’s note: There are plenty of reasons to feel despair right now so I recommend you find a baby in your life to read Mazel Toes to. This adorable board book, written by Audrey Barbakoff and illustrated by Annita Soble, is filled with rhymes and a sprinkling of Yiddish. It will make you smile. There is pure Jewish joy on every page!

Mazel Toes, written by Audrey Barbakoff and illustrated by Annita Soble, The Collective Book Studio, 28 October 2025.

The following excerpts were reproduced with permission from the author.

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Bio:

Dr. Audrey Barbakoff is a librarian, educator, and entrepreneur. She is the author of Mazel Toes! (forthcoming October 2025) and The Schlemiel Kids Save the Moon, named one of the Best Children’s Books of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education. She also writes professional development books for librarians. Audrey holds a doctorate in education and a master’s degree in library and information science. As a Jewish mother, she is passionate about passing down the vibrancy of Jewish humor, language, and stories to the next generation. She lives with her husband, children, and chickens on an island in Puget Sound.

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Five tiny delights

1. Pudgy baby snuggles!

2. My 5-year-old’s over-the-top bouncing excitement when he finds a new book at the library

3. That first sip of hot coffee in the morning

4. The bracing, salty jolt of dipping my toes in the ocean

5. The warm, wafting aroma of home-baked treats in the oven, almost ready to share

Five tiny JEWISH delights

1. My father’s creative, elaborate, and usually hilarious Passover seders

2. Chanting kol nidre around the bonfire with my chavurah

3. Hearing a roomful of kids learn to pronounce a hard “ch” (wear a poncho!)

4. The moment of stillness when the Shabbat candles are lit

5. My baby sporting a teeny-tiny kippah

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