Passover: Celebrating Now, Remembering Then
Many informative titles explain Passover to young children, but none actually follow the seder's order, as this beautifully rendered offering does. In a companion to Hanukkah Haiku (2008), Ziefert provides a simplified adaptation of Exodus, a description of holiday preparations, and a concise Haggadah, or service for this ritual meal. Throughout, Ziefert contrasts current practice (“Now . . . we eat a mixture of apples, nuts, raisins, and wine”) with ancient origins (“Then . . . Israelites were forced to make mortar and bricks for the Pharaoh's pyramids”). The seder portion of the text explains “Now” on the left side, surrounded by a decorative border similar to those used in traditional Haggadahs. The right side depicts the described symbol from a contemporary seder; lifting the flap explains “Then”—the item's historical origins. On every page, Gudeon's Chagall-like paintings exhibit a folkloric style. Deborah Heiligman's Celebrate Passover (2007) offers a more global perspective of this holiday, but this title is one that families with young children will appreciate and want to own. Preschool-Grade 3. --Kay Weisman