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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