The Henna Helper

"The Henna Helper is a heartwarming picture book that highlights the rich tradition of the Henna ceremony within the Yemenite Jewish community. Young Gali, who lives in Tel Aviv’s Yemenite quarter, is annoyed that her grandmother is busy making headcoverings and beads for her cousin Yael’s upcoming henna ceremony instead of sewing a modern flower girl dress for Gali to wear at the wedding. As she learns to participate in the wedding preparations, Gali’s initial disdain transforms into an appreciation for the beauty of the henna ceremony and the joy in crafting the magnificent items that celebrate her Yemenite heritage.

Through the eyes of young Gali, The Henna Helper explores the importance of cultural heritage in a modern setting. Tami Lehman-Wilzig is a veteran children’s author who excels at translating Jewish culture and practices from around the world into formats accessible to young children. Illustrator Yinon Ptahia’s clean but detailed illustrations allow for exploration and discovery on every page. The book’s soft, colorful, and earthy palate is reminiscent of Israel’s Yemenite quarter and of the natural colors used in henna design.

Gali’s journey of understanding, coupled with the inclusion of an endnote explaining the customs, makes this an excellent resource for parents and educators seeking to introduce children to Yemenite wedding practices. Its cultural representation makes it a first pick for school, public, or synagogue libraries that cater to preschool or early elementary-aged children. The Henna Helper celebrates Yemenite heritage, artisan culture, intergenerational connection, and the enduring power of tradition, all while engaging young readers with a relatable story."

—Association of Jewish Libraries

"Gali, a young girl excit­ed to par­tic­i­pate in her old­er cousin’s upcom­ing wed­ding, has asked her Sav­ta (grand­moth­er) to design and sew a flower girl dress that will stand out for its beau­ty. When she learns that, even in Israel, Yemenite women take great care to pre­serve the spe­cial hen­na cer­e­mo­ny held in the week before the wed­ding, she is momen­tar­i­ly frus­trat­ed. Her dress should be ready first! Her grandmother’s patient ded­i­ca­tion helps Gali to under­stand why both ven­er­a­ble and mod­ern cus­toms form the fab­ric of their community’s life.

Young read­ers will iden­ti­fy with Gali’s need to feel impor­tant to her Sav­ta, and the old­er woman accepts her granddaughter’s emo­tions with­out crit­i­cism. They go togeth­er to the local mar­ket to buy sil­ver beads from a skill­ful arti­san; Gali lat­er notices the stun­ning head­dress that Sav­ta has cre­at­ed for the bride. Grad­u­al­ly, the sin­gu­lar­i­ty of the event, where the bride is dressed with elab­o­rate beau­ty, dawns on Gali, who views it through the lens of a fairy tale. ​“Wow, you look like some­one from a fan­ta­sy king­dom,” she tells her cousin with­out a trace of resentment.

Yinon Ptahia’s illus­tra­tions con­vey warmth and excite­ment. Music, danc­ing, and unique dec­o­ra­tions pre­cede the prepa­ra­tion of a hen­na paste, used to draw intri­cate designs on the bride’s hand as a visu­al sym­bol of good luck. Gali appears intent as she pours tea essence into a bowl of hen­na paste. She is in the cen­ter of the image, with her grandmother’s hand help­ing to form the mix­ture. Scenes in Savta’s work­shop reflect the hard work and cre­ativ­i­ty that cul­mi­nate in this essen­tial obser­vance. When Gali sees the ​“glim­mer­ing gold dress with Yemenite embroi­dery” that Sav­ta has sewn for her, she rec­og­nizes the depth of her grandmother’s love, as well as the impor­tance of her Yemenite inher­i­tance. Strong women are links in the chain of cul­tur­al continuity.

The Hen­na Helper is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed and an includ­ed author’s note pro­vides more infor­ma­tion about the Yemenite hen­na ceremony.

—Jewish Book Council