The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

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

Passover, Here I Come! by D.J. Steinberg, illustrated by Emanuel Wiemans Grosset & Dunlap (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Karin Fisher-Golton Buy at Bookshop.org Passover, Here I Come! is the kind of book families will bring out each year to introduce or remind children of Passover traditions. This warm, colorful collection of short poems is the Passover addition to author D. J. Steinberg’s Here I Come! series, which includes books on starting preschool to second grade as well as books on other holidays—secular, Christian, and Jewish. Steinberg’s poems come in a variety of structures, including a poetic recipe for matzoh brei! Young readers will be engaged by the poems’ rhyme, rhythm, and humor. Topics include ways families prepare for and celebrate the holiday; child-oriented traditions (such as singing “Ma nishtana” and searching for the afikomen); and a brief version of the Exodus story. Names, vocabulary, and images depict an Ashkenazi

Max and Emma Cross the Red Sea (Torah Time Travel #2)  by Carl Harris Shuman, illustrated by C.B. Decker Apples & Honey (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Sandy Wasserman Buy at Bookshop.org A masterpiece! In just seven perfect short chapters we suspend disbelief and join Max and his reprogrammed old smartphone, enter Max's cardboard time machine, and head back in time. We meet Moses, Nachshon and a few more of the cast of characters in the desert as the Israelites escape Pharoah's advancing army. Max doesn't take this trip alone though; his new friend Emma joins him and builds his confidence so that he can recite the four questions without too much palm-sweating or stage fright. Emma's been looking for a seder for her family to attend anyway, so that invitation comes around perfectly. And this early chapter book, with its delightful illustrations, does not lack for humor: laugh out loud humor, that will not be above the reader's h

In Our Teeny Tiny Matzah House by Bill and Claire Wurtzel Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili Told from the perspective of the house cat Kitzel, Bill and Claire Wurtzel’s In Our Teeny Tiny Matzah House is about a family who lives in a crowded teeny tiny matzah house and needs to prepare for Passover and the seder. The illustrations use photographs of ordinary foods (such as oranges, cottage cheese, celery, peppers, cantaloupe, avocado, strawberries, bananas, carrots and more) in extraordinary ways giving rise to expressions on the characters' faces that are simply remarkable. Favorites of this reviewer included the Statue of Liberty with broccoli torch, Souperman with a matzah ball nose, Mat Zahbrei, Cantor Loupe and Flankenella. Back matter includes step-by-step instructions to make Kitzel. The story mentions many elements of Passover and the seder including ridding the house of bread (watch

A Persian Passover by Etan Basseri, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing Company), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Bridget Hodder Buy at Kalaniot Years ago, at NerdCamp Michigan, I once had the privilege of hearing author Tracey Baptiste talk about #ownvoices representation. Her words evoked powerful images and feelings as she described her Caribbean island childhood, demonstrating how much deeper a story can go when it's told by one who has actually lived it. But why am I talking about Tracey Baptiste in a review of a book by Etan Basseri and illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh? Because I was reminded of how valid Baptiste's points were, while reading Basseri and Kheiriyeh's vibrant, immersive picture book about Mizrahi Jews. Readers can tell that the author and the illustrator have genuine cultural experience related to their subject, which is a Passover celebration in mid 20th-century Persia, now known as Iran. Every pag

Alone Together on Dan Street by Erica Lyons, illustrated by Jennifer Jamieson Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House Publishing), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker Buy at Bookshop.org A young girl, Mira, is stuck at home in her Jerusalem apartment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her parents, while working at home, take breaks to bake cookies with Mira and her brother and play games in the evenings, but Mira still misses the noisy Jerusalem streets and her usual activities. She’s happy the family will get to celebrate Passover, but unhappy that there will be no guests this year. When she practices the four questions on her balcony (the only place she can be by herself), she hears Mr. Blum practicing on his balcony and realizes that many neighbors will be alone at their seders. Mira comes up with a clever plan for everyone to be separate but together. The mitzvah grows as Mira’s hand-made, artistic invitations are passed from balcony to balcony along with

Peek-A-Boo Passover  by Pamela Mayer, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2022 Cateogry: Picture Books Reviewer: Mirele Kessous Buy at Bookshop.org Peek-A-Boo Passover by Pamela Meyer and illustrated by Viviana Garofoli is a very simple board book about Passover for the youngest readers. It introduces the holiday through the sights, sounds, and tastes that a young child experiences in his house. There are some Hebrew terms ("Haggadah"), but other holiday items ("parsley") are only mentioned in English. The peek-a-boo theme would have leant itself well to a lift-the-flap format, but in this case each item is hinted at before being fully revealed by a page turn. Garofoli’s illustrations will be familiar to PJ Library readers from the [Holiday] Is Coming series – complete with the bright colors and cheerful faces. This is a good option for 0-3 year olds to learn about the holiday. All the characters are white, ab

Raquela's Seder by Joel Edward Stein, illustrated by Sara Ugolotti Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker   Buy at Bookshop.org This is a moving story that takes place in Spain at the time of the Inquisition and its prohibition on practicing Judaism. Raquela and her parents celebrate Shabbat each Friday evening in their cellar so as not to be discovered by the Spanish authorities. Raquela’s parents tell her about Passover, and she wishes she could have a seder. Her mama tells her it is too dangerous, but her papa asks Mama to bake matzoh and mix dried fruit, nuts, and spices. He charges Raquela with gathering parsley, an egg, and other items needed for a seder.  Papa is the best fisherman in town, and he knows the best hiding place for fish. It turns out that this is also the best hiding place for Raquela’s family to observe Passover. Raquela gets her seder on the water in a heart-warming ending. Her papa exp

 The Great Passover Escape by Pamela Moritz, illustrated by Florence Weiser Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld Buy at Bookshop.org Jerusalem is home to the famed Biblical Zoo, originally conceived as a place for animals named in the Tanach, but expanded to include endangered and other species. Moritz crafts a whimsical, amusing, and sometimes laugh-out-loud Passover story about three creatures in that zoo -- a kangaroo, elephant, and monkey -- who've heard about Passover from their zookeeper, and plot to escape from the zoo and attend a Passover seder. There's a lot of humor in their relative understanding of the holiday. The monkey has the facts right; the kangaroo and elephant, less so. For example, kangaroo and elephant believe that Hashem sent planes and plates, respectively to free the Hebrews from bondage. Weiser's art reflects their misunderstanding, and it's funny to see a passenger jet high

  Baby Moses in a Basket by Caryn Yacowitz, illustrated by Julie Downing Candlewick Press Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Baby Moses, set adrift in a basket by his mother, floats down the river Nile. An ibis, a hippopotamus, and a crocodile each meet the sleeping baby and, somewhat improbably, take a turn at protecting him through night and rainstorm. In the morning, Pharoah's daughter finds the baby and joyfully draws him out of the water. The narrative departs from the source material in Exodus beyond the insertion of the protective animals. The basket's journey lasts all night and seems to cover quite a distance. The baby is identified as Moses from the beginning, rather than being named Moses ("I drew him out of the water") by Pharoah's daughter. There is no mention of sister Miriam watching over her little brother and being on hand to offer her mother's nursing services to the princess, who gives no indication that s

Meet the Matzah: A Sort-of Passover Story written and illustrated by Alan Silberberg Viking (imprint of Penguin Random House) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili Buy at Bookshop.org In author / illustrator Alan Silberberg’s Meet the Matzah , Alfie Koman is a matzah who likes to hide. His classmates include Challah Louyah, Na’ancy, Bun and Bun and others. His teacher, Mrs. Crust, has called on him to tell the Passover story and although Alfie attempts to tell the story, Loaf, another classmate, overruns him. Loaf tells his version of the Passover story, that includes the evil Pha-Roach and the Ten Plagues, some of which are No Wi-Fi, Early Bedtime, Broccoli for Dessert and Indoor Recess Forever. Along the lines of a sub-plot of bullying, Alfie manages to regain control of the situation away from Loaf and turns him into a friend, in a most satisfying way. Written in a combination of both text and cartoon bubbles, Meet the Matzah miraculously manages to conv

Alligator Seder by Jessica Hickman, illustrated by Elissambura Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Lila Spitz This board book by first-time author and native Floridian, Jessica Hikman, chronicles a family of alligators as they prepare-for and celebrate Passover. The book incorporates an A, B, C, B end rhyming pattern. For example: A Every year in Florida, B Our favorite sunshine state, C A very special family B takes out its Seder plate. The book also includes information about alligators such as their habitat and their physical features. It states,“. . . Her cooking is the best in the entire Everglade. . . Their many extra teeth make for an even louder crunch. The meal is being served now, and the gators start to chomp. The delicious smells of dinner go drifting through the swamp”. The illustrator used layers of vibrant color and texture to create cartoon alligators and their swampy environment. The simple, yet playful illustrations depict alligators c

Asteroid Goldberg: Passover in Outer Space by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrated by Merrill Rainey Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Fern Richardson Asteroid Goldberg is a rhyming picture book about a young girl’s celebration of Passover in outer space. The main character, Asteroid, finds herself unexpectedly celebrating Passover in her family’s space ship. The quick thinking girl sets off on an adventure to find creative alternatives to the usual Passover fare. She uses the big dipper as a ladle to scoop up Jupiter’s moons, which Asteroid envisions as matzo balls. Saturn’s rings become matzo, while Jupiter’s red spot fills in for horseradish. The rest of the story is a good-humored explanation of how a seder might look in a zero gravity situation. Brianna Caplan Sayres manages to fit a lot of Passover information into fun story over 15 spreads. Some of the humor, children will get; some only parents will enjoy. For example, the Jupiter moon matzo balls float right out of the

Our next few reviews will feature Purim and Passover stories, just a little out of season. This topsy turvy posting seems fitting in our current pandemic situation, where things feel so mixed up. It made us think that this was a good time to check in and see how everyone is doing. How are you, readers? If you like, let us know in the comments. We hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe. We want to acknowledge the amazing job being done by our Shmooze reviewers, who are persevering despite the chaos. We hope that our continuing stream of book reviews brings a little normalcy to you, and helps showcase great titles that aren't getting their normal exposure in bookstores and libraries. Above you can see Shmooze editor Susan Kusel in a Highlights Foundation Zoom meeting held on April 27, 2020 for members of the Jewish Kidlit Mavens Facebook group. Panelists Susan Kusel, Linda Epstein, Becca Podos, Erica Perl, Ruth Horowitz, and Veera Hiranandani discussed

The Passover Mouse by Joy Nelkin Wieder, illustrated by Shahar Kober Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Gigi Perlman Pagliarulo An esoteric yet entertaining Talmudic conundrum is this basis for this lively, insightful and ultimately uplifting Passover story. Lonely widow Rivka has just finished fastidiously sweeping her home clean of chometz when a mischievous mouse steals a piece of bread from the pile of crumbs to be burnt and escapes. Thus ensues a wild and silly chase across the village and through houses, worrying frustrated villagers that there is ever more hidden chometz in their homes to clean before sundown. The wise town Rabbi consults the Talmud and returns a characteristically cryptic answer: “the matter is not decided,” so the townspeople must clean their homes once again to be sure. As they band together to clean and cook for the Seder, a sense of community spirit, forgiveness and togetherness draws all to Rivka’s usually empty home to celebrate Passover in friends

I Love Matzah by Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili, illustrated by Angelika Scudamore Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld This is the perfect time to review a board book for very young children about the pleasures and perils of eating matzah, smack in the midst of the Pesach holiday itself. Biniashvili has penned a simple, short, rhyming story about a toddler child (could be a boy could be a girl, though this male reviewer initially interpreted the art as a boy) who eats matzah in many ways through the Passover holiday -- for breakfast, with cheese, with carrots, and even for dessert. The rhymes are highlighted in the text, easy enough for a child to catch as the book is read loud, and it's easy to imagine happy shouting of rhymes like fish/dish, away/tray, stroll/bowl, and noon/spoon. There are plenty of cues for the Passover holiday, too, with the child eating from special Passover plates, drinking from Passover cups, and a little brother wearing a bib that as

Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Anna Caplan In Lesléa Newman’s gentle picture book Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail, the Passover seder is rich with sensory experience. It’s also a little bit magical. Using simple, lyrical prose, Newman takes readers on a journey through two separate worlds: a boy experiences the seder indoors while a stray kitten wanders outside. Although the boy and the kitten occupy different spaces, their experiences echo one another: Inside, the boy dipped parsley into salt water. Outside, the kitten chewed A wet blade of grass. Inside, the boy broke the middle matzo in half. outside, the kitten split a twig in two. This soothing pattern of phrases beginning with “inside” and “outside” continues throughout the book. The repetition propels readers forward towards the inevitable meeting between boy and kitten. When they eventually meet