zayde comes to live - peachtree-online.com · and joshua and julia’s elon max —s. s. in memory...

Sheri Sinykin isthe author of GIVING

UPTHEGHOST andseventeen otherbooks for young

readers. She received a BA in Communications-Journalism from Stanford University and a MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College. After working as a hospice volunteer, a newspaper reporter, and a hospital PR director in Madison, Wisconsin, Sheri now lives in Massachusetts and Arizona. This is her first picture book.www.sherisinykin.com

Kristina Swarnerdecided to be anartist at age fourand has been draw-ing ever since. Herwork pulls much imagery and inspirationfrom dreams and from memories of explor-ing forests, gardens, and old houses when she was a child.

Since graduating from the Rhode IslandSchool of Design, Kristina has illustratedbooks, greeting cards, magazines, wine labels, CD covers, and theatre posters, andhas won numerous awards.

When not painting, Kristina enjoys music,reading, and trying to grow trees on her balcony. She lives in Chicago.www.kristinaswarner.com

“A sweet and uplifting tale

of wisdom passing from

generation to generation.”

—rabbi david wolpe

Sinai temple, los angeles, California

“Masterfully gentle, loving

and sensitive...a tremendously

helpful resource...”

—Jan M. brahms, d. d. rabbi, Congregation beth Shalom

the woodlands, texas

Children’swww.peachtree-online.com

I tug at Rabbi Lev’s dark coat.

“Is Zayde dying?” I ask,

because rabbis do not lie.

“He is living, Rachel,

until the moment he dies.”

ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-631-4

ISBN 10: 1-56145-631-4$16.95

written bY Sheri SinYkin illuStrated bY kriStina Swarner

ZAYDE COMES TO LIVEZAYDE COMES TO LIVEPrinted and bound in Singapore

“Tender, moving, as perfect a

circle as life. A book for when

you and your child need it and

when you do not.”

—Jane Yolen, author of Owl MOOn

Zay

de

Co

me

s to L

ive

Sinykin / Swarner

ISBN 978-1-56145-631-4 $16.95

Rachel’s grandfather has come to live

with her family. She knows this is because

he is dying. Rachel can’t help wondering

where he will go when he dies.

She asks her friends.

She asks her rabbi.

She asks Zayde.

No one has the perfect answer, but soon

Rachel finds a way to make peace with

her grandfather’s passing. She learns to

gather all the moments she can, and to

honor his life, one small memory at a time.

In this sensitive portrait of a young girl

and her grandfather, author Sheri Sinykin

approaches the issue of death from

a distinctly Jewish perspective while

demonstrating respect for all beliefs.

Kristina Swarner’s lush illustrations add

layers of depth and wonder to the story.

Zayde-Jacket-ver.1:Layout 1 4/3/12 6:48 PM

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ZAYDE COMES TO LIVEZAYDE COMES TO LIVE

Zayde-interior-proof 2.final:Zayde Comes to Live 4/3/12 6:09 PM Page iv

For all my beloved grandchildren—sons of my sons:

Aaron and Debbie’s Brayden Raine and Logan Casey,

Rudi and Esther’s Akiva Gilad and Hillel David,

and Joshua and Julia’s Elon Max

—S. S.

In memory of my Grandpa who taught me how to row a boat,

and my Granddad who used to take me out for corned beef sandwiches

—K. S.

Published by PEACHTREE PUBLISHERS1700 Chattahoochee AvenueAtlanta, Georgia 30318-2112

www.peachtree-online.com

Text © 2012 by Sheri SinykinIllustrations © 2012 by Kristina Swarner

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical,photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Illustrations are linoleum prints with watercolor and colored pencil. Title typeset in Adobe’s Belwe Medium by George Belwe for Schelter & Giesecke; text typeset in FontShop International’s AdvertRough-Two by Just van Rossum.

Book design by Maureen Withee and Loraine M. Joyner

Printed and manufactured in May 2012 by Imago in Singapore10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sinykin, Sheri Cooper.Zayde comes to live / written by Sheri C. Sinykin ; illustrated by Kristina Swarner.

p. cm.Summary: When Rachel's beloved grandfather, Zayde,comes to spend his last days with her family, she worrieswhat will happen when he dies, especially after friends tellher the Christian and Muslim beliefs about the afterlife.ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-631-4 / ISBN 10: 1-56145-631-4[1. Future life--Fiction. 2. Death--Fiction. 3. Grandfathers--Fiction. 4. Jews--United States--Fiction.] I. Swarner,Kristina, ill. II. Title.PZ7.S6194Zay 2012[Fic]--dc23

2011020977

ZAYDE COMES TO LIVEZAYDE COMES TO LIVEwrItten by sherI sInyKIn Illustrated by KrIstIna swarner

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Zayde comes to live with us.

It’s because he is dying.

No one says this, but I know from what

they do not say. From what Zayde cannot

do anymore, like play hide and seek around

the house. Or ball in the yard.


He watches squirrels in the trees.

Now he lives in a

sleeper-chair in our

living room. The sun

wakes him each

morning.

And movies on TV.

And me.

Zayde-interior-proof 2.final:Zayde Comes to Live 4/3/12 6:09 PM

When we play catch, he gets tired and Mama

says, “Don’t throw balls in the house, Rachel.”

When we read, he

gets out of breath and

I say, “It’s okay, Zayde.

Let me.”


Megan says Zayde will go to Heaven, a happy city in the

clouds with pearly gates and diamond streets and more

light than we can imagine. First, Zayde must believe in

Jesus, but we do not.

Hakim says Zayde will go to Paradise, where milk-and-honey

rivers flow in gardens of pomegranates and dates. First, he must

believe in Allah, but we do not.

That’s because we are Jewish.


I worry for Zayde. Where will he go?

I am afraid to ask.

Sometimes I watch him sleep to make sure

he wakes up again. His nurse comes to check on

him. And Rabbi Lev comes to check on us all.


“Is Zayde dying?” I ask him, because rabbis do not lie.

“He is living, Rachel, until the moment he dies.”

That doesn’t sound so scary. Zayde is living! But I can

see he’s weak and tired, too. And then what?

“When Zayde dies,” I ask, “what will happen to him?”


“He’ll take one last breath,” Rabbi Lev says. “Then his

energy will live on with your ancestors in the World to Come—

what we call Olam Ha-Ba.”


I close my eyes and try to make a picture. I see a zooming,

happy Zayde with his mama and daddy, his bubbe and his own

zayde, and all the aunts and uncles I never knew.


After Rabbi Lev leaves,

I touch Zayde’s hand. When he

looks up at me, I see doll’s

eyes, not his regular sparkly

blue ones.

“It’s me, Zayde. Rachel.”

He blinks and blinks.

Finally, he laughs. “Looks like

you went and grew up while

I was dreaming.” Then he pats

the chair, and I snuggle into the

free space beside him.


“What were you dreaming about, Zayde?” I ask.

“The day you were born. What a blessing your

first breath was! How happy we were!”

I watch his chest go up and down. I think about

first breaths and last breaths, one happy, one sad.

“I don’t want you to die, Zayde.” My voice

whispers like his air-machine.

His arm tightens around me. “It’s the circle

of life, sweet girl.”


“I don’t ever want to say good-bye, Zayde.”

“You don’t have to, Rachela,” he says.

“But where will you go?” I ask at last.

I see a new light on his face. “Then you’re not scared?”

“I am at peace,” he says. “You know the word shalom?”

“What we say for ‘hello’ and ‘good-bye’?”

“Yes. But it really means ‘peace and completeness.’ ”


“My body is getting tired. I know you can see this.

Soon that outside part of me will return to the earth.”

I remember how we buried my cat Curry in the

backyard. How we hugged and cried and told stories

about him.

Maybe we will do that for Zayde, too.


Mama will tell about Zayde’s first

snow angel, when she was little.

I’ll tell about the birdhouse we made,

how he let me paint it purple.

And Daddy will tell how Zayde

saved their wedding day with a needle

and thread. So many stories.


“But what about the inside part of you?” I ask.

“What happens to that?”

Zayde sucks a long noisy breath. “My spirit will live

on. This I believe. Because my love will stay here with

you, and so will your memories. Always.”

I walk my fingers over the blanket until they find his.

Then I bury my face against him. Sweet Zayde smells—

peppermint and lime.

I know we are making another memory for me.


Breathing in, breathing out,

together, as long as we can.


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zayde comes to live - peachtree-online.com · and joshua and julia’s elon max —s. s. in memory...

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