What reviewers are saying:

“Cats in Jerusalem by Tammar Stein and Menahem Halberstadt is a book of few words, but as an introduction to Jerusalem, it’s purrfect. We follow three expressive cats and a human family on a tour of Israel’s capital, and as the felines stretch out on the curves of the Shrine of the Book, strut past the King David Hotel, or sing with buskers on Ben Yehuda, we revel in the surroundings with them. A great way to engage children aged two to six in the city’s geography and history.” — Angela Kiverstein, The Jewish Chronicle 

“Anybody who has been to Israel has probably encountered a very large number of cats.
It’s said that in some areas, cats rule the streets, which is why this fun, original, and super creative book made me laugh out loud a few times and feel nostalgic, as if I were walking in the streets of Jerusalem alongside the characters in this story.

In this contemporary board book, Tammar Stein has brilliantly taken what could be, for some kids, a not very engaging topic — sights in a city — and given it a super fun twist in the shape of a "Meow Tour Guide!"

A family of four visiting Jerusalem gets to watch, observe, and interact with the three felines at the different sights, while the narrative shares how the cats interact with the city at various locations. We get to visit many landmarks, including the Tower of David, Mahane Yehuda Market, Lions' Gate, the Shrine of the Book, and more. All meaningful sites get extra attention by focusing on how the three cats appear in them.

The story starts in the morning as the cats peek from different corners and ends with a beautiful spread of the three cats on the roof of a Jerusalem home over the night sky.

Menahem Halberstadt's illustrations are comic, joyous, and playful, and feel right on point for the target age group, and humorous for the adults sharing the reading experience with their children. The backmatter comprises illustrations of the landmarks and their names for reference.

This book has many Jewish references, as it tours the beautiful city of Jerusalem, concentrating on the ones most meaningful in Judaism, although it is missing the Western Wall. This book is most suitable for a Jewish audience. However, I do think that non-Jewish audiences would find it interesting and entertaining, as Jerusalem and its sights are a source of attraction for different communities and religions.—Rinat Hadad Siegel, The Jewish Book Garden