The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Matzah Day! by Charlotte Offsay, illustrated by Jason Kirschner Holiday House, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby   Buy at Bookshop.org This upbeat picture book celebrates the many, many ways matzah can be enjoyed, and is sure to get young children excited about Passover and eating matzah. The happy rhyming text and energetic colorful illustrations infuse a rather "dry" (pun intended) subject with joy. Even before the story begins, the wordless mosaic of matzah squares with the family's faces sets a welcoming tone. The book offers an authentic representation of Passover and Judaism on many levels, even alluding to the potential drawbacks of eating matzah: crumbs and constipation! On a more serious note, the child-friendly nonfiction back matter is written for children, but is great for grown-ups who would like a holiday primer. And the back matter offers recipes for matzah and for a sweet and a savory matzah dish.  Editor's Note: This book was in...

Ellis Island Passover written and illustrated by Marissa Moss Creston Books, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman   Buy at Bookshop.org   Great-Uncle Ezra arrives just in time to cheer up a grumpy little girl as her family prepares for Passover. Based on Marissa Moss’ family memoir, Uncle Ezra shares the extraordinary true tale of how he traveled alone when he was 9 years old, first across Europe, then by ship, escaping violent antisemitism. When he arrived at Ellis Island his older brother was not there as expected to sponsor his entry to America. He was well cared for on the island but if his brother coudn’t be found by week’s end then he would be sent back to Europe. During this time he helped create and celebrate a seder for the other Jewish refugees. Without a Haggadah they told the Exodus story from a Hebrew bible, without matzoh they substituted crackers. But the participants all felt they were sharing their own personal Exodus from oppression to free...

The Secret Seder by Dvorah Zuckerberg, illustrated by Tamara Goldreich Menucha Publishers, 2025 Category: Early Chapter Books Reviewer: Leah Cypess   Buy at Menucha This well-written and evocative early chapter book tells the story of a secret seder in Siberia during World War II. The story seems to be based on the author’s own experiences. Despite the setting and topic, it is a gentle narrative, conveying the harsh realities of the life the main character lives but stressing the fact that she nevertheless feels safe, protected by her parents and by God. There is enough tension to keep the pages turning. Will their neighbor discover what they are doing? Will American Jews send matzah? The clear, crisp illustrations, with their expressive facial expressions and beautiful scenery, enhance and complete the story. The Jewish representation in this book is heartfelt and authentic and illuminates an important part of the Jewish historical experience. The book is about deeply religious J...

The Curious Case of the Pot Roast: A Passover Mystery by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt Green Bean Books, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Eva Weiss   Buy at Bookshop.org The spirited young hero of this picture book brings to life the antic legend of a custom born of misinterpretation. On Passover Eve, an inquisitive boy (whose name we never learn) asks his mother why she cuts off the ends of her pot roast before cooking it. To decipher the family tradition, the child is directed first to his grandmother, and then to his great-grandmother, who reveals that the custom originated with a pot that was too small for the roast. The story is told in the first-person voice of the engaging and precocious hero, who also states its moral: "Even old recipes can have new questions." Along the way, the young hero asks many more questions about the ways of the world, as he skips up the stairs. He wants to know everything from who invented spoons to whether an...

My Matzah written & illustrated by Ann Diament Koffsky Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Board Books Reviewer: Rebecca Greer   Buy at Bookshop.org   This simplistic board book focuses on a young koala bear trying to find the hidden matzah, also referred to as the “afikoman”. He looks high and low throughout the house as an older male koala looks on. It is only when the pair search together that it is found and can be eaten. At the end is a brief note that the afikoman is hidden during Passover and must be searched for. The question is also posed to the reader “where would you choose to hide it?” which sets up a discussion after the book is done. Clever artwork shows the fun and joy of searching for the matzah, especially once it’s found and can be eaten, through the use of onomatopoeia words “munch” and “crunch”. The story is extremely brief, with a focus on the artwork, giving a glimpse into a Passover seder. A quick and cute read for you...

  One, Two, Three, Passover! by Naomi Shulman, illustrated by Nora Hilb PJ Publishing, 2025 Category: Board Books Reviewer: Ann Koffsky   Buy at Amazon.com Like all successful board books aimed at the youngest readers, One, Two, Three, Passover is deceptively simple. It’s main character of a young girl takes the reader through the highlights of the Passover holiday, starting with preparation, then through the seder meal. At each stage, the refrain of “one Two three!” is repeated, and is used to count three matzahs, three haggaddahs, and three claps along to dayenu and more. Throughout, our protagonist is accompanying by her adorable and fluffy dog, and through the illustrations we get to meet her grandparents and multi-racial friends, too. The words of the book are very well structured, and target the age group well. Sentences are simple, and the concept of 1,2,3 is right on point, and exactly what readers this age are learning. The illustrations are also very cleve and add l...

Happy Passover, Edie Rose! by Joy Preble, illustrated by Valeria Cis Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2025 Category: Picture Books  Reviewer: Julie Ditton   Buy at Bookshop.org   Why is this Passover book different from all other Passover books? Most other Passover picture books tell the biblical Passover story or tell a tale of a typical seder. This one is a bit different. Mia and everyone else loves going to Edie Rose's apartment for the Passover seder. Edie always prepares everything, and guests are told "just bring yourself". Edie makes everything fun, with paper frogs that kids have colored, and everyone participating and imagining that they are marching together to escape Egypt. Edie is quite the character, and regales Mia with the stories of all her travels. She has given Mia a map of the world to mark her own travels, stating that "You never know what journey might call your name." When Edie is injured right before Passover, Mia r...