Whenever Ruth and Sammy visit their grandparents, they get to brush up on their Yiddish. This Jewish language, a blend of German and Hebrew, is full of words that are fun to say: words like shvitz (sweat), feh! ("It stinks!"), and schmaltz (fat). Ruth and Sammy look forward to spending time with relatives. As Ruth would say, until they arrive at their grandparent's house, they are on shpilkes (pins and needles)!
Actress Ione Skye drew upon her childhood experiences in this story of family ties, cultural exploration, and adventures under the sunshine.
"Every candy-colored page features the funny, frenetic dog involved in some furious activity, and the sense of motion and movement is palpable each time. The text is occasionally labored: 'Wiggle slowly when with polar bears. They're very wiggle shy.' But the artwork picks up the slack so well that kids won't know what to do first: wiggle or giggle."
Booklist, starred review on Wiggle
"Ruth and Sammy's vacation to their grandparents' retirement community presents a nostalgic look at 1970s Jewish Florida."
Kirkus Reviews
"Skye, the actress who played the object of affection in Say Anything, makes her children's book debut with a loving, lighthearted salute to a truly great and, sadly, vanished generation."
