"...IF All WOMEN

orY

OE 50

HAD RENIAR

MAMMOGRAMS,

HEIR DEMI RE

FROM BREAST

CANCER

WORD

DROP BY

A THIRD"

- ACOG

Take the first step.
Call 1-800-ACS-2345 for
information that can help
you make an impact.

/2/ lU ,d

MOGRAM

EVERY YEAR AFTER 50

A Public Service of
This Publication

Be warned: this is no ordinary
life after hearing a text that rhymes
Haggada.
ready" with "bready" and "seder"
In fact, this is nothing like any
with "radar"?
Haggada you have ever seen.
Bottom Line: Fun and silly
So what, exactly, is Uncle Eli's
reading for Pesach.
(once was enough for that whole
13. ESPECIALLY FOR THE FAMILY
title) Haggada?
Why on This Night? A
It is indeed the story of
Passover Haggadah for
Passover, but it's told here through a
Family Celebration by Rahel
child-friendly rhyme and abiblutely
Musleah,
with illustrations by Louise
wonderful illustrations.
It's about a family that has to do August (Simon and Schuster,
$24.95).
.
the usual cleaning up for Pesach.
The cranky child decides to ignore
This is a nice combination of tradi-
the whole thing:
tional text and fresh ideas, with
"I lust stuffed up my ears,
really lovely illustrations you'll enjoy
'cause I'm that kind of kid.
looking at throughout the seder.
I didn't much care
The book basically follows the
what the rest of them did.
order of any Haggada, with familiar
I thought it was stupid;
elements such as the Four Questions,
I felt it was dumb
the afikomen, etc. Each page pro-
to get so excited
vides a good explanation of why
about one or two crumbs
this is included in the seder, but the
when under my bed,
book is very, very basic (and don't
under careful protection,
look for mention of any of the rab-
I keep the world's largest
bis, other than Hillel, whose names
stale breadcrumb collection!
appear so prominently in most Hag-
I hate cleaning up.
gadot). Consequently, I recommend
I prefer a good mess.
that you consider this a supplemen-
I'm lazy and mean —
tal text, rather than the main Hagga-
kind of nasty, I guess.
da from which you read.
I don't like the Seder.
Why on This Night is at its best
It bores me to tears.
when offering insights ("Manna was
I sit making faces
a magical food that fell in a fine
and noises and sneers."
layer with the dew each morning. It
looked like a little seed, the color of
But then — ahal — suddenly
crystal
or pearl, but when it was
there appears "the weirdest old
ground and baked, it tasted like a
man that you ever will see." It's
cake dipped in honey or a rich
Uncle Eli, and he has brought with
dagh") and fun ideas (there's a
him his own, rather remark-
number about Jacob, sung to the
able, version of the Pesach
tune of "Yankee Doodle"). The book
story where you'll learn
is also very good at posing thought-
about Goo•-bahs and Glumps
ful questions. One asks children to
and Abie, the Afikomen-thief.
imagine that God has just given
This is fun stuff, though consid-
them
a box with a wonderful gift
er it a quick supplement to your
inside.
What, the author asks,
Pesach table — it is definitely not
would this present be?.
a replacement even for the most
Bottom Line: Good, basic
basic child's Haggada. Read it
introduction to the holiday with
when you need a little break, or
thoughtful
questions.
when you're falling asleep and only

"

halfway through the seder. How
could you not fail to spring back to

3/31
2000

110

4. ENCHANTING ILLUSTRATIONS
On Passover by Cathy Goldberg