ON AMAZON’S “CHILDREN’S BOOKS on PREJUDICE
& RACISM” LIST THE INTERNET, EVERYWHERE –
THE INTERNET, EVERYWHERE – Last week, on Yom HaShoah – a day when Jews all over the world pause to commemorate the Holocaust, a new book about Jewish pirates climbed into the #89 spot in Amazon’s list of top-100 bestselling “Children’s Books on Prejudice & Racism”. While it’s not unusual for a new book to rank on one of Amazon’s numerous lists, this placement is noteworthy for one unusual fact:
“José and the Pirate Captain Toledano” was the only book in this category with a Jewish protagonist.
Set in the shadows of the Spanish Inquisition, the middle-grade graphic novel tells the coming-of-age story of a young refugee who forms a powerful bond with a mysterious Pirate Captain. It’s also a dynamic pirate adventure on the high seas, with hand-to-hand combat and ship-to-ship action, and the powerful story of a dark time in history when people took different paths to survive.
Currently on this top-100 list are only four other Jewish-themed books. One (“What was the Holocaust?” - #25) is a nonfiction book about the Holocaust. three others (“Linked” - #30, “Nicky & Vera - #71, “The Boy who Dared” - #99) are about non-Jews who stand up for or protect Jews (of these, two are also set during the Holocaust).
“Holocaust stories are really important to tell,” said Toledano’s author, Arnon Z. Shorr, “especially on a day like today. But there’s so much more to Judaism than victimhood, and there’s so much more to anti-Semitism than the Holocaust. If we want to participate in a national discourse about prejudice, but we’re only present as Holocaust victims – that’s not a seat at the table. It’s just one chair leg.”
Coincidentally, the book made its official debut on May 1, at the start of National Jewish American Heritage Month. It is available from Kar-Ben Publishing (www.karben.com).
Arnon Z. Shorr is a writer and director of character-driven adventures and thrillers, where heroes grapple with the extraordinary, and in doing so, learn important truths about themselves. He lives in Massachusetts and works in Los Angeles and wherever movies are made. www.arnonshorr.com
Joshua Edelglass is an illustrator whose work has appeared in both volumes of The Jewish Comix Anthology, JOMIX -- Jewish Comics: Art and Derivation, and other publications and exhibitions.
Also a skilled Jewish educator, Josh has been Assistant Director of
Camp Ramah New England since 2011. He lives in Massachusetts with his
family. www.
The
Amazon list, “Best Sellers in Children’s Books on Prejudice &
Racism” is updated every few minutes, and can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/
José and the Pirate Captain Toledano’s Amazon page is here
Electronic Press Kit with images, photos, video and more: https://tinyurl.com/
Book trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1aN_
Social Media Handles:
Facebook & Twitter: @jewishpirates | Instagram: @jewishpiratecaptain
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