I love this. It's such a great lesson about being yourself and knowing who you are. I especially loved how she used the crown at first to get confidence until she realized she didn't need it anymore.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is a really cute book. I think with all the differences going on in our world in this day and age that this would be a good addition to any kids library! The graphics were super cute and the writing was easy to follow

A sweet story about a trans girl learning to feel confident being herself, while taking inspiration from Queen Esther and the story of Purim. This story is needed, and it includes lessons to be learned both by kids and adults. I hope it will be read widely by Jewish (and non-Jewish) kids and their adults!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I am honored to review it.

I was very intrigued by this book, as the main character Atara is a transgender child in a religiously themed book. I was not disappointed!

To start off, the readers are told right away that Atara has named herself. Atara’s mom is very supportive of her daughter, and the way she plays dress up to model Queen Esther, from the Jewish folklore and the Christian Bible. Atara questions if anyone knew Esther’s secret Jewish identity before she revealed herself, and was able to reflect about wether or not her parents knew she was a girl before she revealed herself.

I felt a bit confused as to where the plot was going, and what the takeaways were going to be. I felt like this book could have been edited to be more concise, but I liked how the book ended. Atara was able to go to school without her crown, but people still recognized her as Atara anyway.

Overall, this was a good read.

This adorable story centers a trans girl as she learns about Purim and Queen Esther. It is story of the importance of self-confidence and believing in yourself.

It was nice how the fact that the main character is trans was not the center of the story and was just a fact that related well to the rest of the story.

I think this would resonate well with all sorts of children.

Thank you to Net Galley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the eARC!

Loved the illustrations and the character becoming who she is without her crown. The connection to Queen Esther is not one I would have made, and I appreciated the linking of religion and trans acceptance. This book could encourage kids to learn more about both subjects - always a good thing! Thanks for the eARC!

Not everyone is who they seem, and sometimes how you dress can make you feel more like who you know that you are. Atara knows that she is a girl who looks like a boy, but others only see who she is when she dresses up and wears a lovely crown everywhere she goes. Especially when she is Queen Esther in the play at drama class!
The illustrations by Rena Yehuda Newman are delightful, colorful, and fun!
Well suited for reading WITH someone of ANY age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions provided by Jessica Kingsley Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Jan 21, 2025
@RenaYehuda @JKPBooks #QueenEsther #Purim #GenderDysphoria #AriMofficAuthor #KerryOlitzkyAuthor #JewishHero #BiblicalHero

What a lovely book not only about the Jewish holiday of Purim, but the experience of a trans child. Even I feel like I learned something!

What a lovely book not only about the Jewish holiday of Purim, but the experience of a trans child. This story really encapsulates the feeling of queer joy, and finding your truth.

An interesting read for any child!

This book would appeal to a very specific group of young children. As a mother to three small children, I think it's important to have representation of all children. I think this book would appeal to very young elementary aged children but I think the topics discussed in this book are a little too hard for young elementary aged children to comprehend. I do think the illustrations in this book are beautiful.


Thank you so much, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Great inclusive book dealing with gender identity. Utilized the story of Queen Ester and patterned across Atara’s realization she hid something too—that she was a girl.

This book is a lovely introduction to most children about a little Jewish Trans girl.
I love the fact that in the story her transition wasn't spoken about as if it was a big deal, and she was genuinely just herself and accepted by others.
She also accepted herself and realised she didn't need a crown for others to know she was a girl - she just had to be herself.
Very cute little illustrations

Just Like Queen Esther is a picture book about a young Jewish trans girl, Atara, who always wears her crown to feel confident and remind people that she is a girl. She is empowered by the story of Queen Esther, a Jewish heroine who also wore her crown all the time.

I really liked the mention of the meaning of Atara's name, and how she chose the name for herself. I feel like the story of Queen Esther was very simplified even for a children's book, and maybe there could have been a couple more sentences, but that's my only complaint. The illustrations are colorful and cheerful, and Atara learns to be even more confident in herself.

This book is absolutely beautiful! I loved the sweet meaning behind it. It was so great to read with my daughter, and the conversations that followed. It was wonderful!

This book was such a lovely surprise. I am always on the hunt for children's books that celebrate individuals as they are and inclusivity of all. Just like Queen Esther achieves those goals. We meet Atara, who loves to wear her crown, but realizes that she doesn't need it to be herself, even if it's fun. I don't generally buy religious-based books, but this would be an exception.

Thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Just Like Queen Esther' by Ari Moffic and Kerry Olitzky is a beautifully illustrated children's book that talks open mindedly about young transgender children and their feelings and worries. This LGBTQIAP+ book would be a great addition to any young library and who doesn't love a pretty crown? 👑

If I had this I would put it in my little studio library for children.

I think the authors did a pretty good job of presenting the challenge a lot of children go through - finding themselves and finding the confidence they need. It doesn't even have to be gender-related, but I think every single one of us has at least once in our early years struggled with where our place was (whether it was trying to figure out what we wanted to do or who we wanted to be).
The illustrations are also gorgeous and I love the idea of kids creating their own crown in the end.

Just Like Queen Esther by Ari Moffic and Kerry Olitzky is a meaningful story about Atara and the crown that makes her feel safe and special. Atara is given the role of Queen Esther in a play and learns that her confidence comes from within, with or without her crown.

I love the message of this book and am grateful to NetGalley for the ARC.

A quick sory about a child who loves wearing a crown, then Mom tells her about Queen Esther, and the story blends both the story of Purim and how you can feel regal and like royalty even if you forget to wear your crown. So, a little bit about Purim and a little bit about self esteem and it makes for a pleasant holiday read.

Genesis 1:26-28
And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them; and God said unto them: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ (Tanakh, Jewish Publication Society, 1917 - in the public domain)

It is a sad commentary on the times we live in that a respected, renowned rabbi such as Kerry Olitzky (whose valuable resources about Jewish history and Judaism in general we have owned for decades) would allow his name to be on a book such as this. The plot also makes a mockery of the real Queen Esther's risk to stand for G-d and truth. Parents: beware.

This is not to deny the need for compassion for those who struggle with gender issues, but merely to express the importance of aligning our views with biblical truth.

Esther 9:26-28
Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of pur. Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come unto them, the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing thereof, and according to the appointed time thereof, every year; and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. (Tanakh, Jewish Publication Society, 1917 - in the public domain)