42 March 28 • 2019
jn

F

our questions. Four cups of wine. 
Four types of children. At Passover, 
the number four figures prom-
inently in the rituals of the seder, the 
ceremonial holiday meal that can be 
mesmerizing and mystifying.
Four new delightful and brightly illus-
trated books for young kids will enliven 
and help explain the popular eight-day 
spring holiday, which this year begins on 
Friday evening, April 19. Check them 
out while there’
s still time to get them 
well before the holiday. 
A fifth new book, set in ancient 
Jerusalem, is a perfect complement to 
the seder that ends with a tune sung to 
the popular seder-ending phrase “Next 
year in Jerusalem.
”

PIPPA’
S PASSOVER PLATE

Vivian Kirkfield; illustrated by Jill 
Weber, Holiday House; ages 4-8
In this lively, rhyming story, an 
adorable mouse named Pippa is 
preparing for the seder. She sets 
the table and stirs the chicken stew. 
But where’
s the special shiny gold 
seder plate placed in the center of the 
table to display the ritual foods eaten at 
the ceremonial meal?
Kids will have fun as they follow Pippa 
in her search. Along the way, the feisty 
Pippa asks for help from a cat, snake 
and wise owl, who are big and scary and 
make Pippa “cringe and quake.
”
Author Vivian Kirkfield’
s playful 
verse introduces kid to the seder rituals, 
while award-winning artist Jill Weber 
(The Story of Passover) puts readers in 
the scene with the cute gray and pink 
mouse. 

THE BEST FOUR QUESTIONS
Rachelle Burk; illustrated by Melanie 
Florian, Kar-Ben; ages 3-8
Marcy is the youngest child in the 
family who has just learned to read, and 
it’
s her turn to ask the Four Questions. 
But Marcy’
s older brother, Jake, isn’
t 
happy to relinquish the ritual that has 
won him plenty of praise from his rela-
tives. Marcy, a vivacious and inquisitive 
girl, turns down all offers of help to prac-
tice reciting the Four Questions.

Older kids may figure out that Marcy 
doesn’
t realize she’
s expected to read 
the traditional questions from the 
Haggadah. She’
s come up with her own 
questions. Here’
s one: How many matzah 
balls in Grandma’
s chicken soup? Read 
to see how the family and Jake react.
Melanie Florian’
s brightly colored 
animated illustrations capture Marcy’
s 
enthusiasm for the festive holiday.

MATZAH BELOWSTAIRS
Susan Lynn Meyer; illustrated by Mette 
Engell, Kar-Ben; ages 4-8
In Susan Lynn Meyer’
s humor-filled 
tale, two families share a home in 
Apartment 4B, where they are eager to 

celebrate Passover. Young Eli Winkler is 
welcoming his human family’
s guests to 
their seder in their “
Abovestairs” apart-
ment. Under the Winkler’
s floor is young 
Miriam Mouse and her mouse family, 
who live “Belowstairs” and occasionally 
enter the Winkler apartment through a 
tiny round mouse hole.
This year, the Winklers have stored 
their matzah in a tightly sealed tin box 
and Miriam Mouse hasn’
t been able to 
find any stray pieces — not even crumbs 
— for her family’
s holiday. When the 
determined Miriam crawls through her 
hole, she spies Eli’
s father hiding the 
afikomen, the piece of matzah needed to 
conclude the seder meal. Who will find 

the hidden matzah first, Eli or Miriam 
Mouse? Kids will delight when Miriam 
Mouse finds the perfect solution for both 
families.
Mette Engell’
s large and colorful illus-
trations provide readers the unusual 
view from the mouse perspective. 

SHIMRI’
S BIG IDEA: A STORY
OF ANCIENT JERUSALEM
Elka Weber; illustrated by Inbal Gigi 
Bousidan, Apples & Honey Press; ages 
4-8
In this gracefully told story, Elka 
Weber takes kids back in time to ancient 
Jerusalem where a curious boy named 
Shimri is told he’
s too young and small 
to help his older, bigger family members 
plow the fields and draw water from the 
faraway well. But Grandma Eliora reas-
sures him that “big ideas can come from 
small mouths,
” and urges him to look 
closely and listen.
Shimri learns King Hezekiah is look-
ing for ideas on how to bring water 
inside the city’
s walls and wonders if the 
king will listen to a small boy’
s solution 
to the problem. 
The warm desert tones of Inbal Gigi 
Bousidan’
s illustrations evoke the land-
scape and lifestyle of ancient Jerusalem. 

A SEDER FOR GROVER
Joni Kibort Sussman; illustrated by 
Tom Leigh, Kar-Ben; ages 1-4
In this first of four planned Sesame 
Street board books from Kar-Ben, pub-
lisher and children’
s author Joni Kibort 
Sussman teams with longtime Sesame 
Street and Muppet book illustrator Tom 
Leigh to offer little ones an entertaining 
introduction to the Passover rituals and 
traditions.
The youngest kids and their grownup 
readers will want to join Grover, Big 
Bird and their Sesame Street friends at 
Avigail’
s Passover seder to eat matzah, 
read the Haggadah and ask the Four 
Questions. Cookie Monster can come 
along, too — but only if he eats spe-
cial Passover cookies. Grover tells his 
friends it’
s good to invite guests to the 
seder. Even Moishe Oofnik the grouch is 
included. ■

PENNY SCHWARTZ JTA.ORG

These fi
 ve new titles will enliven the holiday for the whole family. 
Pesach Books for Kids

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arts&life

