Books about Passover

A Notes from the Windowsill annotated bibliography by Wendy E. Betts. Copyright 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

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Last Updated 03/31/08

Picture Books

Let My People Go! by Tilda Balsey. Illustrated by Ilene Richard. Kar-Ben, 2008 (978-0-8225-7241-1) $7.95

Every time I look at this book, I flash on Gene Wilder in "The Producers," reading the title Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Eva and Adolf at Berchtesgaden and ending with "Wow!" Really, what else is there to say about a rollicking rhyming romp with Moses and Pharoah in Egypt? For sheer bad taste in approach to the subject matter the book is hard to beat, but add in jocular illustrations and ear-painful rhymes and it almost inspires admiration for its awfulness:

Then Moses spoke to mean Pharaoh,
"Our God says, 'Let my people go!"
Pharaoh shouted, "NO, NO, NO!"

A plague! A plague! A Plague!
Egyptians moaned and cried with dread.
To see their skin turn purply red
And nasty boils begin to spread.
But Pharaoh was an old hardhead.

For those who might actually be interested in using this in a classroom, I should mention that it ends with Pharaoh letting the Jews leave, so the parting of the Red Sea and so forth isn't covered. Teachers who aren't familiar with the story will also want some supplementary material to explain the sections that might be obscure, such as the burning bush at the beginning. This is assuming you can bring yourself to get past the image of a distraught cartoon-style Egyptian waving a rattle over an empty cartoon-style Egyptian crib to illustrate the plague that brings death to every first-born son. I could not. (6-10)

Had Gadya illustrated by Seymour Chwast. Roaring Brook, 2005 (1-59643-033-8) $16.95; 2007 (978-1-59643-298-7) $7.95 pb

Starting with a goat being eaten by a cat and ending with God striking down the Angel of Death, the traditional cumulative song "Had Gadya" is a deliberately curious combination of whimsy and darkness. Both elements are seen in this picture book rendition. Acrylic paintings use chunky patches of color to create busy scenes full of people preparing for Passover; at the top of each spread, the characters of each verse are shown as they appear--first the goat, then the goat and the cat--to make it easy to keep track of the story. (Sometimes the characters glance curiously at each other above, as if puzzled by their odd behavior below.) The Angel of Death is a menacing blue figure; God is portrayed as a bolt of light from clouds. In the end, as the family we've seen in the pictures begins their Passover Seder, we see the father bringing home... the goat.

An afterward by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld discusses possible meanings the song and its darker images, which may help parents interpret it for troubled children. The sheet music, and verses in the original Aramaic are also included. (3-8)

The Magician's Visit: a Passover Tale Barbara Diamond Goldin. From a story by I. L. Peretz. Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Puffin, 1995 (0-14-054455-0)

Muted, still watercolors contribute to an air of quiet wonder in this lyrically told story of how the folk hero Elijah brought a Passover Seder to a needy couple. Although the ending seems abrupt and unfinished, it is an unusual and memorable story for Passover. (4 & up)

This is Our Seder by Ziporah Hildebrandt. Illustrated by Robin Roraback. Holiday House, 1999 (0-8234-1436-1) $15.95

"This is our night for coming together." begins this description of a family Seder, continuing with "This is the plate for teaching, the wine for blessing, the water for washing..." and ending triumphantly with "This is our freedom!" Short and sweet, the text sums up all the basic elements of the seder in an accessible way. (Though I can't help but wonder if the last page, which shows the children playing with their pets as the adults clear the table, might indicate freedom from the Seder more than anything else!) Jam-packed with detail, the pen & ink and watercolor illustrations of the large family seem a little busy for such a simple text. (2-6)

The Matzah that Papa Brought Home by Fran Manushkin. Illustrated by Ned Bittinger. Scholastic, 1995 (0-590-47146-5)

The rituals and atmosphere of a Passover Seder are captured with verve and humor in this "House-That-Jack-Built" style cumulative book. Told in verse, each new action is linked to the previous ones: "This is the matzah ball soup that we sipped, after the bitter herbs we dipped, after 'Dayenu,' a very long song, that we sang with out stomach's growling along..." At first glance I was less enthralled by the illustrations, realistic paintings of an old-fashioned looking family which didn't seem to match the whimsey of the text. Closer inspection, however, showed that the pictures are quite versatile in capturing the different moods of the holiday: some are fill of humor and energy, as plagues of frogs and locusts appear on the table, a small child falls asleep during "Dayenu," and the family dog wistfully glances at the dinner; others convey more spiritual aspects, showing the young narrator standing "tall and proud" to recite the Four Questions. Most importantly, all express the happy atmosphere of a loving, united family. This book is a delightful way to prepare a child for Passover or to introduce the concept of ritual; a note at the end explains the story of Passover and the symbolism behind the Seder. * (3-8)

Miriam's Cup: a Passover Story by Fran Manushkin. Illustrated by Bob Dacey. Scholastic, 1998 (0-590-67720-9)

Lovely paintings in a realistic style illustrate this retelling of the story of Moses, which emphasizes the role of Miriam, his brave, intelligent and devout sister. The story is framed as a mother explaining to her daughter why she was named after Miriam and why they will now have a special cup in honor of Miriam at their family's Passover seder. An author's note and bibliography are included. (4-8)

Passover written and illustrated by Miriam Nerlove. Albert Whitman, 1989 (0-8075-6360-9); (0-8075-636-17) $4.95 pb

It's short on detail, but young children will enjoy this simple rhyming look at the story of Passover and a family Seder. The illustrations are equally basic, first showing scenes of a stern Pharaoh and unhappy Jews, then of a happy family enjoying their Seder. (2-4)

Passover! by Roni Schotter. Illustrated by Erin Eitter Kono. Little, Brown (2006 (0-316-93991-9) $12.99

When the first signs of Spring appear, Grandma and Grandpa arrive to celebrate Passover with their family, including toddler Moe and puppy Izzy. But what could be a likeable enough rhyming story about their family seder is sadly marred by a lack of attention to rhythm and scansion: "Our house looks 'Passover perfect--even Grandma says so. Everything is sparkly clean, even wiggly Moe!" "In the kitchen, Mama warms our favorite dish--Matzoh ball soup! Papa fixes gefilte fish." Some of the rhymes work--I like a throwaway line outside of the regular text, "That bone is not your own, Izzy!"--but too much of the text is uncomfortable to read. There's nothing special in the familiar, conventional images of the watercolor illustrations to compensate for the failings of the text, and even the extra page of information at the end is somewhat misleading, describing one set of seder customs as if it applied to all Jews, everywhere. (2-6)

Passover Magic! by Roni Schotter. Illustrated by Marylin Hafner. Little, Brown, 1995 (0-316-77468-5); 2003 (0-318-77928-8) $6.95 pb

This companion to Hanukkah! (see Hanukkah books) tells a sweet story about a Passover Seder enlivened by the magic of Uncle Harry, a weekend magician who, naturally, is the perfect person to hide the afikomen. But Uncle Harry's tricks aren't the real magic of Passover: thoughts of hope, freedom and family are. Hafner's pen & ink watercolors nicely capture the bustle of a large family gathering, giving each person an individual character. (4-8)

The Four Questions by Lynne Sharon Schwartz. Illustrated by Ori Sherman. Dial, 1989; Puffin, 1994 (0-14-055269-3) OP

The four questions of Passover are here used to introduce the Passover story, as well as to describe the meaning behind Seder rituals. The telling is traditional in tone, but has a progressive sensibility that will make it acceptable to Jews from many different backgrounds. Striking, boldly shaped and colored illustrations uses figures of animals instead of people, inspired by the Haggadahs of the Middle Ages: the result is whimsical yet also affecting, as in a picture of different animals huddled together weeping as they eat bitter herbs. An interesting design allows the four questions to be read upside down, in Hebrew, accompanied by upside down illustrations; as you proceed through the book, the upside down pictures are given more page space, until the last scenes depicts animals dancing together all around a globe, to accompany the words "Together we wish that by next year's Seder, all people living in slavery, any place in the world, will pass over to freedom." (5 & up)

What is Passover? by Harriet Ziefert. Illustrated by Lillie James. HarperFestival, 1994 (0-694-00482-0) $6.95

You won't find the most thorough description of the meaning and customs of Passover in this cute "lift-the-flap" book, but its very simple explanation could be used as a starting place for family discussions. The cozy illustrations are sweet and appealing but the highlight of the book is the flaps, which are used in a clever, appropriate way: to lift the cover from the matzah and open the door for Elijah, for example. (3-6)

Fiction, 5-12

Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen. Illustrated by Daniel Duffy. William Morrow, 1983; Beech Tree, 1998 (0-688-16280-0)

Weaving a gentle message about learning from other cultures into an easy-to-read story, Molly's Pilgrim is a thoughtful look at the problems of a young immigrant. Third-grade Molly is miserable in her new school, where she is constantly taunted about not speaking English perfectly and being Jewish. When her mother makes a doll for the class Thanksgiving project, Molly is even more humiliated: the doll looks like a little Russian girl, not a Pilgrim. But as Molly and her classmates learn, "Pilgrim" can mean anyone who travels to find freedom: like Molly and her family. Although set around the turn of the century, Molly's sympathetic narrative could be that of any "pilgrim" today. (5-8)

Make a Wish, Molly by Barbara Cohen. Illustrated by Jan Naimo Jones. Doubleday, 1994; Dell Yearling, 1995 (0-440-41058-4)

The follow-up to Molly's Pilgrim is a similar yet somewhat richer and more sophisticated story, intended for slightly older readers. Several months have passed for Molly and she's much happier, because she's found a friend named Emma. But when Emma has a birthday party, Molly can't eat any of her wonderful birthday cake: it's Passover, and regular flour is forbidden. For Elizabeth, Molly's old enemy, it's the perfect chance to make trouble between Molly and Emma by spreading nasty rumors about Jewish customs. Molly's too shy and embarrassed to explain--but how can she keep her friend? This longer narrative gives Molly more depth than the previous book, making her an even more sympathetic and understandable character. (6-10)

Young Adult Books

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Viking, 1988 (0-670-81027-4); Puffin, 1990 (0-140-34535-3) $2.98 pb

Twelve-year-old Hannah hates the Passover Seder at Grandpa Will's. She hates his strange fits about the tattoo on his arm, and the long boring speeches, and everything she's expected to remember. "All Jewish holidays are about remembering," she tells her mother. "I'm tired of remembering."

Then she goes to open the door for Elijah--and suddenly finds herself being called Chaya. She has travelled through time and space to a Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland, the only one there who knows the fate that awaits them. At first Hannah urges people to fight, but her efforts are useless; her foreknowledge is too little and arrives too late, and she, along with everyone she has met, winds up in a concentration camp. There she is befriended by a girl named Rivka, who teaches her the tricks of survival in a place where every day of survival is a victory over evil; it is Rivka who tells her, when she rages against the passivity of the prisoners, that "it is much harder to live this way and to die this way than to go out shooting... We are all heroes here."

Reading it with a critical eye, The Devil's Arithmetic seems awfully heavy on the lessons; practically every line of dialogue starts to seem like a sound bite of profundity. Nonetheless, it is a deeply moving story about both staggering evil and goodness, and the vital importance of remembering them. (10 & up)

Nonfiction

A Passover Holiday Cookbook by Emily Raabe. Rosen, 2002 (0-8239-5625-3) $22.95

Readers expecting a cookbook may be disappointed in this book, which only includes four recipes: Matzo Brie, Chocolate Macaroons, Charoset and Sweet Potato Kugel. The rest of the book is a simple description of some of the backgrounds and traditions of Passover and the Passover Seder. Although it could be useful in a classroom, this book strikes me as overly expensive, considering its slim size and generally unexciting contents. (6-10)

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