Hi all. Kar-Ben is giving out a free copy of the Shabbat Princess this week over at her Facebook page. All you need to do to enter is post a link to a favorite summer shabbat recipe before Friday at noon. If it’s not available as a link, just describe it or tell us what cookbook it can be found in.

I’ve had a few nice reviews. I’m delighted to have one from the amazing Eric Kimmel

Amy Meltzer’s The Shabbat Princess is a charming variation on the Jewish Princess theme. Face it. The Sabbath Queen’s Shabbat visits have become routine. The old brass candlesticks have become “good enough.” The kiddush cup could use a polishing. A queen might put up with that sort of “ho-hum,” but definitely not a princess. So polish the silver. Get out the special candlesticks. Dress up and get ready. The Shabbat Princess is on her way.

Martha Avilés’s illustrations capture all the bling of the story. The Shabbat Princess is a perfect Shabbat read, especially if your own Kabbalat Shabbat needs a makeover.

This one’s from Rabbi Brad Artson (who happens to be my cousin)

Amy Meltzer has opened the palace gates, allowing our children and our inner child to feel the glow of the Sabbath. In dazzling illustrations and inviting words, The Shabbat Princess ushers us into love, faith, welcome, and the calm peace of Shabbat. I loved this book!

And here’s one from Brad Hirschfield

Using rabbinic wisdom and great insight about parenting, Amy Meltzer’s The Shabbat Princess is both a sweet story and a wise teaching, reminding us that each of us has the ability to bring beauty and sacredness into our own lives and the lives of our children — a priceless lesson for us all.

Lastly, The Kirkus Review:

The Shabbat Queen, a Talmudic metaphor for the importance of a welcoming, regal atmosphere for family and guests each week, inspires a little girl and her parents to set their table with a few special items.

Rosie wonders whether, since a Shabbat Queen exists, there can also be a Shabbat Princess? Neither her mother nor her father has ever heard of one, but they invite Rosie to be their princess for the evening. Rosie dresses up for the occasion, while her parents add crystal candlesticks and the just-polished silver goblet to the customary best dishes. Rosie’s addition of a golden sequined scarf for a challah cover completes a Shabbat table fit for royalty. Pink- and lavender-shaded scenes of a modern home setting (often flanked by a side border of flowered vines) alternate with Rosie’s imagined majestic view. A panorama of rolling meadows beyond a castle filled with lords, ladies and court jesters surrounds a tall, bejeweled Shabbat Queen wearing a flowing rose-pink gown and golden crown. Following the three blessings and the banquetlike meal, Rosie wonders aloud about the appropriateness of creating such extravagance and is assured by her parents: “When an honored guest visits our house, she deserves extra-special treatment.”

Meltzer’s child-oriented tale presents a lovely way to honor the Sabbath with a bit of respectful festivity.

Here’s a peek at one more picture, but really, don’t you want to just get a copy already?