The Keeper of Stories

A timely, touching, and powerful picture book

Editor’s Note:

When I first discovered this book about the Jewish Theological Seminary Fire of 1966, I knew it was one that I wanted to spotlight. What is better than a book about books? The timing of this spotlight hits hard as efforts to save homes, both spiritual and physical, continue in Los Angeles. The image of Jewish texts being rescued from fire carries profound historical and cultural significance, evoking deep-seated pain both past and present.

As Pritchard notes in the back matter, “A sculpture depicting a blaze wrapping around a bush alongside the words from the story of Moses in the wilderness, “And the bush was not consumed,” was mounted at the very front of the library tower’s entrance.”

More than being about fire, The Keeper of Stories, by Caroline Kusin Pritchard and illustrated by Selina Alko, is about community and the power of story.

This excerpt from The Keeper of Stories, published by Simon and Schuster, February 2025, was supplied by the author.

Bio: Caroline Kusin Pritchard grew up as the youngest of four children in Dallas, Texas, and spent her childhood sneaking extra helpings of noodle kugel from her bubbe's kitchen. She is the author of picture and middle-grade books for children, including Gitty and Kvetch, What Jewish Looks Like and Where is Poppy?, which School Library Journal called “a perfect story for all ages.” She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Virginia with her husband and their four kiddos. Visit her at CarolineKusinPritchard.com.

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5 Tiny Delights:

• Taking myself on a solo date to a delicious restaurant and alternating between reading a new book and eavesdropping on the conversations all around me

• Cuddling up with my husband and kiddos on the couch and doing anything and everything, from playing charades to watching old family videos to cheering on our 3-year-old's (who almost exclusively responds to Simone Biles) gymnastics moves

• Eating a warm chocolate chip pizookie with a slab of vanilla ice cream on top

• Listening to my sisters or dearest friends describe the most outrageous or hilarious or heartbreaking experience they had and couldn't wait to share

• Watching my husband braid our son's hair

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5 Tiny Jewish Delights

• Getting into heated, passionate conversations with family and friends that end with more questions than we have answers

• Watching my non-Jewish husband spend the pandemic studying challah-making and then teaching our kids how to braid the most gorgeous loaves. It actually inspired a not-yet-announced picture book!

• Hearing our kiddos incorporate Yiddish into their everyday lives. This morning our 7-year-old wiped our 1-year-old's face saying, "Here, let me get some of that schmutz off for you." Steals my heart!

• Returning to my hometown of Dallas, TX for our extended family's Passover seder. I'm constantly heartened by the ways our generation has held onto traditions while pushing towards new, thought-provoking discussions and ways of engaging our kiddos.

• Witnessing how Jewish humor has persisted from generation to generation, both out in the world and inside of our multi-racial, multi-ethnic family.

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