"Ella, along with her parents and her stuffed animal Koofi the Kof (monkey), fly to Israel. On the plane Ella spills mango juice on Koofi. As the smiling stewardess wipes the juice off Koofi she says, 'Eyn ba'aya. No problem,' which becomes a refrain throughout this delightful book. Ella and her family visit the Kotel where a boy accidentally rips Koofi's tail to which Ella's mother says, 'Eyn ba'aya,' as she sews the tail back on Koofi. When the family visits an outdoor market in Tel Aviv, Ella drips tahini on Koofi to which her mother exclaims, 'Eyn ba'aya,' as she cleans Koofi's fur. At the Dead Sea, Koofi, along with the other tourists, gets covered in mud and in the Gallil, Ella squirts Koofi with milk as she milks a cow. After each incident the phrase 'Eyn ba'aya' is repeated. When the family returns home and looks at their picture album they realize that Koofi's stained fur is a reminder of the places they visited in Israel. Akemi Gutierrez's pastel watercolor drawings of happy people compliment the text. There is one small inaccuracy in the drawings. Ella's mother wears a green sleeveless blouse and yellow skirt throught the book. She would not have been permitted to approach the kotel without covering her arms. This once inaccuracy does not detract from the enjoyment of the book. It is also curious that there is never a depiction of an Israeli flag at any point. Ella's Trip to Israel is a simple travelogue of Israel for the very youngest readers." --Jewish Book World

"Preschooler Ella and her parents travel to Israel accompanied by her stuffed monkey, Koofi, who endures much abuse along the way. Mango juice spills onto his face, a young boy accidentally rips his tail, lunchtime tahini drips on his fur, Ella covers him with Dead Sea mud, and milk from a kibbutz cow sprays into his eyes. As each disaster occurs, Ella is told, 'Eyn ba'aya. No p roblem,' and an adult does his or her best to remedy the situation. Back home, Mom wryly notes that Koofi’s fur is like a photo album, with each spot recalling a portion of their trip, but Ella still loves Koofi just the way he is. Newman's simple story (with its frequent 'Eyn ba'aya' refrain) will appeal to young listeners, and Gutierrez's pastel, cartoon-style illustrations are well suited to the laid-back, yet upbeat, story. Although the book's audience may be somewhat limited (preschoolers traveling to Israel), Newman does a good job pointing out travel highlights (the Wailing Wall, the Dead Sea, a kibbutz) infused with cultural details and simple Hebrew." --Booklist

"With Yom Ha'atzmaut just several weeks away, a timely little book for very young children is Ella's Trip to Israel by Vivian Newman, illustrated by Akemi Guiterrez ($8.95 pb) in which Ella takes her stuffed toy monkey on all her adventures while visiting Israel.

The illustrations are simply delightful!" --Chicago Jewish Star Magazine

Vivian Newman has an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education and a certificate in Jewish Early Childhood Education from Hebrew College. In addition to writing, she is an Educational Consultant for PJ Library, an initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Her previous chldren’s books include Ella’sTrip to Israel and Tikkun Olam Ted.