In Danielle Joseph’s picture book THE MITZVAH FAIRY (Kar-Ben, 2025) illustrated by Christine Battuz, young readers are introduced to The Mitzvah Fairy, a child who spends his day helping others by performing acts of kindness. It’s an accessible and kid-friendly way for young readers to learn about doing good deeds. The illustrations are fun and engaging, and kids will enjoy The Mitzvah Fairy’s crown, wand, wings, and helpful attitude. The book includes back matter and a matching game for those interested in learning more about Jewish values. I’m excited to chat with Danielle about this inspiring and sweet story. Welcome back, Danielle!
THE MITZVAH FAIRY shows readers that even kids can do acts of kindness. What inspired you to write this story?
The idea for this story came to me in two parts. One is that my kids really liked to dress up when they were little. They would dress up in costume sometimes to go to school or the supermarket or to the park. It was something that brought them joy and made others smile. The other part is that early activism is something I think is very important to expose kids too and when I put the two ideas together, The Mitzvah Fairy was born!
What are some ways parents and teachers can use THE MITZVAH FAIRY at home and in the classroom?
After reading the story, parents and teachers can talk about the ways that The Mitzvah Fairy spreads joy and kindness in his neighborhood and ask kids how they can do the same in their own communities. When I have visited classrooms recently, students have been very willing to share with me how they have already been helping at home and at school. I’ve had some very lively discussions and even the youngest preschool kids grasped the concept of how important it is to help each other. I also have a free Be a Mitzvah Fairy chart that teachers or parents can download. It’s available on the Kar-Ben website.
What were your thoughts when you first saw Christine Battuz’s illustrations?
Christine’s illustrations are delightful and really capture the essence of the story. I love her use of color and her great attention to detail. When I read the book with kids, we have a lot of fun looking for the animals in the story.
I love the matching game at the end, where readers can identify types of mitzvot. How did you come up with the idea to include it?
I really wanted to include an interactive component to the story so that adult readers and kids had something to discuss after reading the story. It was also a great spot to include Hebrew terms. Together with my publisher, we came up with the matching at the end. It also really pulls the kids in together as a group at the end as they collectively do the matching.
You write both novels and picture books. How is your writing process different for each genre?
They are very different but I equally enjoy writing novels and picture books. I often like to be working on a novel and a picture book at the same time because when I need a break from one, I can hop over to the other. With novels I’m always trying to write more words and with picture books I’m always looking to eliminate words. One of the greatest things about writing both novels and picture books is that I get to work with kids of all ages and that is a true blessing.
Thanks so much for having me again, Barbara!
Thank you, Danielle!
Danielle Joseph is the author of picture books and young adult novels, including the award-winning picture book I Want to Ride the Tap Tap. She was born in Cape Town, South Africa and now lives in Maryland with her family and dog Ringo. Danielle believes in the power of kindness and spreads joy wherever she can.