Katie Moss Talks About Build a Sukkah With Me

Katie Moss has written a delightful new Sukkot picture book, Build a Sukkah with Me. Little kids love to get into the action and with this book they can join in. Read my interview and find out about the inspiration for this story.

About Katie Moss

Katie is an award-winning children’s book editor and writer from London, England. She studied English and Drama at the University of Sussex and has worked in publishing for nearly a decade. Katie has written and edited numerous picture books over the years – all carefully quality-tested by her nieces and nephews!

Interview with Katie Moss

Julie: What spark gave you the idea to write Build a Sukkah with Me? Why a book that focuses primarily on building the sukkah?

Katie: The spark actually came from thinking about what would be the most fun way for a toddler to experience Sukkot. Building a sukkah is full of action – gather, build, decorate, celebrate – and those active verbs immediately felt playful and interactive. Once I had that structure, the rhythm and rhymes started to fall into place. I loved the idea that children wouldn’t just be reading about Sukkot but would feel as though they were helping to build the sukkah alongside the family.

Julie: You were fortunate that your publisher, Green Bean Books paired you up with illustrator Orit Magia. Do you have any favorite illustrations.

Katie: There are so many, but I think my favourite is the final meal inside the completed sukkah. After watching the family collect branches, decorate and prepare everything together, it’s lovely to see everyone gathered beneath the stars enjoying the space they’ve created. It feels like such a warm celebration of everything the book has been building towards.

I’m also a huge fan of Orit’s mischievous little cat, who quietly pops up throughout the book!

Julie: Because the book is aimed at Jewish toddlers, it is perfect for children who don’t know anything about the holiday. Did you have non-Jewish readers in mind as well.

Katie: Absolutely. While the book introduces Sukkot, I hope the story itself feels familiar to every child. The excitement of building something together, decorating it, sharing food and spending time outdoors are experiences that children everywhere can relate to. My hope is that Jewish families will see their own traditions reflected in the story, while non-Jewish readers simply enjoy a fun, rhyming picture book and perhaps discover something new along the way.

Julie: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

Katie: I hope children come away thinking, “I’d like to build something!” Whether it’s a sukkah, a blanket fort or a cardboard castle, there’s something magical about creating a space together.

Julie: What are you working on now?

Katie: Alongside my work as a children’s editor, I’m always collecting ideas in notebooks and on scraps of paper! I’m currently playing around with a few new picture book concepts – some inspired by Jewish traditions and others by the wonderfully funny things children do and say. It’s still early days, but I’m excited to see where they lead.

About The Book

Children join friends and family to prepare a sukkah, discovering communal joy and shared celebration.

This richly illustrated tale gives children a step-by-step guide to preparing a sukkah (hut) for the festival of Sukkot. With the help of friends and family, wood is gathered, leaves are foraged, and the roof put in place. Decorations are then made, mouth-watering food is prepared, and everything is set for the sun going down. Sukkot has begun!

By showing children the ways in which they can take part in the festivities - from singing and dancing with friends, to creating posters and paperchains for the sukkah - this book reveals how their happiness and enthusiasm are key this joyful festival. It also shows the pleasure that can be found in working together as part of a community.

With its engaging story and endearing message, Build a Sukkah is a delightful celebration of love, family, and generosity, guaranteed to leave children captivated.

Orit Magia is an acclaimed children's books author and illustrator, as well as an industrial designer and co-owner of SHULAB -- an international studio for design. She studied design at the Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem and applies her multiple talents to visual storytelling, industrial and graphic design.

Storybook Lady
Review

Sukkah Story for Active Children

This cute board book takes little ones through the process of building a sukkah. Katie Moss has written this cute rhyming story with a e rhythm that will appeal to toddlers as well as preschoolers. Orit Magia has illustrated the book in a combination of styles. The people are line drawings with simple blocks of color, but the wood and branches of the sukkah are more detailed thus emphasizing the sukkah rather than the people. Each spread has three action words or sound words in extra large multicolored font, followed by a sentence. The book is perfect for young toddlers and preschoolers, who can pantomine all the action. However, this font layout also makes the book a perfect read along for older children who are learning to read. Build a Sukkah with Me is the perfect read-with-me autumn book for Jewish youngsters.

Want more Sukkot Reviews

SIX SUKKOT STORIES for 2026

This year brings a bumper crop of new Sukkot picture books to share. Read about the harvest of this year’s Sukkot stories and follow the links to the author interviews and guest post that follows.

SUKKOT ARCHIVE

Read about this year’s crop and Sukkot picture book favorites from recent years. Find all the Sukkot Reviews and Interviews on Storybooklady.net

Want more Reviews

Read my reviews of many other Jewish Children’s books at Goodreads on Bubbe’s Bookshelf. You can read even more children’s book reviews my Goodreads Children’s Books shelf.