Challah Day! by Charlotte Offsay and Jason Kirschner

Happy Thursday from Naperville, Illinois! I'm grateful Charlotte Offsay stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed baking, Jason Kirschner's illustrations, endpapers, story, UCLA, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in black. Thank you, Charlotte! 

Challah Day! is a rhyming ode to the timeless tradition of making challah. It was born from my love of making challah with my own two children. It is my hope that the book encourages readers to head to the kitchen and enjoy the messy delicious sweetness that comes from baking together as a family. It is illustrated by Jason Kirschner, edited by the fabulous Grace Maccarone and releases from Holiday House on August 1, 2023.

Challah Day!’s endpapers are so fantastic that I had them made into challah covers! They depict the narrator jumping across oversized ingredients. I will be giving a couple of them away soon, follow me on Instagram for more information!

Jason Kirschner’s illustrations are playful perfection. Jason elevates the text with the warm loving family he cooked up. Jason managed to infuse the text with an added layer of humor, one of my favorite spreads includes the family dog helping to set the Shabbat table!

Story is a gift whose magic we get to share with those we love. Books are a pathway to snuggles, laughter, adventure, learning and connection.

John Schu, you should have asked me if this was really the first manuscript I ever wrote! Yes, it was! I became so inspired after an afternoon of baking challah with my two young children that I sat down and wrote them a story about it. Writing that story began my author journey and led to me taking my very first picture book writing class through UCLA Extension Online. One class lead to another and many years (and countless revisions) later I am thrilled to launch Challah Day into the world.

Thank you, Charlotte! 

Borrow Challah Day! from your school or public library. Whenever possible, please support independent bookshops. 

It’s Challah Day! A family mixes, kneads, and braids bread in this joyful, rhyming story about a Jewish holiday food that’s baked with love.

From kneading sticky dough to gathering with family around the table, Challah Day celebrates family, food, heritage, and tradition! Join this happy family as they bake delicious braided egg bread for their Friday night Shabbat dinner.

Yeast and sugar - water’s warm,
mix and watch those bubbles form!
Crack the eggs – one… two… three… four
Extra if some hit the floor.

Messy flour and laughter abound. The scent of warm bread fills the house. Grandma and Grandpa bring the candles and hugs. Parents, kids, and baby too, can read this kid-friendly, rhyming recipe together.

Inspired by memories author Charlotte Offsay and illustrator Jason Kirschner have of baking Challah with their children, Challah Day celebrates the sweetness of sharing homemade food as a family.

In the back of the book, read about the cultural importance of Challah and Jewish traditions. This read aloud can be a joyful introduction to a new culture or a cozy way to celebrate a familiar one. Perfect for any occasion as a holiday gift or the start of a new weekly tradition.