By Daniel Jaffe

Reviewing: “Ella KVELLephant and the Search for Bubbe’s Yiddish Treasure” by Jen Kostman. Kalaniot Books. 2023. English. Hardcover. 32 pages. ISBN-13: 979-8986396514.

Parents of kvetching children: Have no fear! There’s a new children’s book to keep your kids entertained if you need a Shabbat shluf. Jen Kostman’s debut book, “Ella KVELLephant and the Search for Bubbe’s Yiddish Treasure,” provides plenty of fun, interesting imagery—and Yiddish. Kostman draws on her Jewish background, as well as her role as a preschool teacher, for this illustrated tale. Despite it being a children’s book, the author-illustrator spoke of her goal to “inspire both newer and older generations to keep Jewish culture alive.”

“Ella KVELLephant” tells the story of a young elephant named Ella, and the search for her grandmother’s “hidden treasure.” This treasure is her grandmother’s Yiddish, and Ella crosses land and sea to help her “bubbe” out. In addition to the charming story, Kostman illustrated each page with adorable characters and exciting backgrounds. A collection of popular Yiddish words can be found spread amongst the pages, perfectly fusing the entertaining tale with great Yiddish lessons. To help drive home the Yiddish message, the book features a quick history of the language, and a glossary of the words used throughout the book.

While Kostman drew inspiration from many places, she recognizes her own “bubbe,” Grandma Temie, as the strongest influence for the uniquely Yiddish element of the story. “When I think of my first experience with Yiddish, my Grandma Temie is who comes to mind,” explained Kostman. “Thinking about Yiddish makes me feel nostalgic for her.” Along with Ella’s grandmother being a character adapted from one of Kostman’s own relatives, “Zeyde” is also based on her real-life Grandpa Charlie. It isn’t only the namesake that bears a resemblance, though, as the personalities of the elder elephants are modeled after the traits Kostman remembers from her grandparents.

Although she has illustrated several books before, this is her first as the author. She described her early creative projects, citing personal stories and school assignments as her first steps into the writing world. “Throughout my life, I was always a storyteller, and that aspect of myself mainly came out through visual art,” Kostman said. “I think the older I got, the more enthusiastic I became about writing my own stories.” This desire continued through her time at the School of Visual Arts, and now thanks to her determination and Kalaniot Books publishing, her goal has become a reality.

Kostman has been using her teaching talents to promote “Ella KVELLephant,” holding book-reading events for children. “I feel very fortunate that events feel so natural for me since I’m used to interacting with young kids,” she said. “Bringing both aspects of my career together with book events really makes me feel lucky to be involved with two careers that are meaningful to me.” Kostman greatly enjoys these events, and is hopeful to have even more in the future.

Kostman sees more writing in her future. She described how the process of developing “Ella KVELLephant” has felt like “creating a personal love letter to my family and my culture,” and how it has inspired her to continue working on new projects. She already has ideas for more possible stories, both Jewish and secular.

With regards to this book, Kostman hopes that it can reach out to all audiences, no matter their age or background. “While I had a lot of fun working on this project and naturally hope that it ‘does well,’ there are a few things in particular that I truly hope come out of this book,” she emphasized. “I hope that this book is something my family can feel proud of, the Jewish community can enjoy, and those who aren’t Jewish can find value in and learn from.”

“Ella KVELLephant,” recommended for readers ages 4-8, can be purchased on Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and the Jewish Book Council websites.

Daniel Jaffe is a Jewish Link summer intern from Teaneck. He is a rising junior at Yeshiva University.