The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Matilda Makes Matzah Balls by Rhonda Cohen, illustrated by Francesca Galmozzi Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili Buy at Bookshop.org Every year, Matilda enjoys watching her grandmother make matzah balls for the Passover seder. This year, however, Bubbe suggests starting a new family tradition by having Matilda help her make them. Matilda eagerly jumps at the chance but she has her own ideas that she’d like to incorporate into the recipe, like adding some lemon and extra dill. Bubbe wholeheartedly encourages Matilda’s suggestions. Matilda’s biggest idea, though, is to make one giant matzah ball. Bubbe has her doubts as to whether it will still float, but she allows Matilda to go ahead with it all the same. When it indeed sinks, Bubbe consoles Matilda: “It’s all right, bubbalah. The nice thing about experimenting is you can always try again.” And that is exactly what they do, with Matilda coming up

My Family Haggadah by Shoshana Silberman, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Karin Fisher-Golton Buy at Bookshop.org My Family Haggadah is a 14-page board book that uses simple language and engaging illustrations to introduce the youngest readers to the basic concepts of Passover. Starting most sentences with “We” and a verb, author Shoshana Silberman creates a lovely rhythm that is perfect for a holiday with steps in a traditional order. The text includes holiday vocabulary (“matzah,” “afikomen,”); the Hebrew thank you, “todah,” briefly defined by the toddler main character; the Hebrew “Dayenu,” in reference to the beloved holiday song; and the English-Yiddish hybrid word “shluffy” for sleepy (derived from the Yiddish שלאָפֿן/shlofn, to sleep), which is clear in context. Hiroe Nakata’s illustrations depict a main character toddler boy with warm light-brown skin and tightly curled hair. He shares

Under-the-Sea Seder written & illustrated by Ann D. Koffsky Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Lisa Trank Buy at Bookshop.org In Under-the-Sea Seder , Miri is crunching the matzoh too loud, she’s slurping the grape juice, and doing just about anything she can do to fight off her Passover seder boredom. Her parents beg her to be quiet and sit still, but Miri simply can’t, so she escapes underneath the seder table and to an imaginary Under-the-Sea Seder, accompanied by Abby the cat, complete with submarines, underwater caves, and sea monsters. After a truly original and hilarious version of the four questions, Miri’s parents call her back in time for seder songs, which she can sing at the top of her lungs.  This is a book that every Jewish family will connect to and laugh out loud with. The illustrations are colorful, charming, and add to the overall fun and humor of the entire story, as well as make the reader want to turn the

The Royal Recipe by Elana Rubinstein, illustrated by Jennifer Naalchigar Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus Buy at Bookshop.org Saralee Siegel is back again in The Royal Recipe ! We last met Saralee with her super nose at Hanukkah, when she traveled back in time to meet her great grandmother, in A Donut in Time . Now we are back at the Siegel House Restaurant with Saralee and her family. Her grandfather, Zadie owns the restaurant and Saralee assists him in the kitchen. In this novel the family is getting ready to hold a Purim banquet at Siegel House. Zadie wants everything to be authentic to the historical time of Esther and Mordechai in Shushan, Persia. He asks Saralee to use her special nose to figure out the most genuine hamantaschen recipe she can create. As Saralee starts sniffing, she feels herself connecting with the Purim story. Then an unusual and very controlling party planner named "Herman"

The Purim Panic (Ruby Celebrates! series) by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov Albert Whitman, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org The Purim Panic is a new addition to the Jewish holiday series; Ruby Celebrates! by Laura Gehl. It is a fun and easy-to-read Purim mystery tale suitable for pre-k through first-grade readers. Ruby and her family are happily busy, getting ready for Purim. Ruby is making hamantaschen. Her toddler brother, Benny, is making a grogger while their father and Bubbe (grandmother) are helping navigate these fun tasks.  The characters are smiling and depict a modern Ashkenazi family with bright and colorful illustrations. All the preparations run smoothly until Ruby realizes the special ring she received from her grandmother is missing. The whole family tries to help while Benny is making noise with his grogger, trying to grab Ruby’s attention. One by one, different family members arrive and try to help, but the r

Purr-im Time! by Jenna Waldman, illustrated by Erica J. Chen Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker Buy at Bookshop.org This imaginative rhyming story of a Purim day in the life of three kittens has all the joyful elements of the holiday. From the moment the kitties wake up until they fall into bed, weary from a full day of baking hamantaschen, marching in the Purim parade, and going to the Purim carnival, they are celebrating the holiday. The megillah reading tells the story of Purim in a child-friendly way, so all can revel in the defeat of Haman and take pride in Esther’s heroism. And the dynamic movement of Erica Chen’s beautifully illustrated kitties shows them practically jumping off the page with their delight at the holiday. As a bonus, the back matter includes a mishloach manot craft idea with instructions. There is also a note to families stressing the kindness and charity that are important elements of the