"A thoughtful, timely and comprehensive biography."--Jennifer Weiner, New York Times Book Review "Expansive and detailed. Generations of readers whose love of All-of-a-Kind-Family has kept it in print for seven decades will remember the cast of characters. [A] fine first biography of Sydney Taylor."--Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal "Taylor helped Jewish children see people like themselves and their traditions in the pages of books and also helped to bring Jewish culture to an American audience. This accomplished biography combines interpretation of the stories with Taylor's experiences and attitudes about marriage, women's careers, politics and the arts."--Sandee Brawarsky, Jewish Week/Times of Israel "An uncommonly intimate portrait emerges. humanizing and deeply empathetic.

"--Elissa Gershowitz, The Horn Book Magazine "Cummins demonstrates authoritative and encyclopedic knowledge of Taylor's life, work, and milieu, pointing out thoughtfully how Taylor's views shaped both Jewish American experience and Americans' awareness of Jewish life."--Naomi Sokoloff, University of Washington "This text has implications not only for Taylor's semi-autobiographical children's series, but also for larger considerations of the influence of popular culture on American 'national discourse.'"--Victoria Aarons, Trinity University.