The Passover Guest

Muriel assumes her family is too poor to hold a Passover Seder this year--but an act of kindness and a mysterious magician change everything. It's the Spring of 1933 in Washington D.C., and the Great Depression is hitting young Muriel's family hard. Her father has lost his job, and her family barely has enough food most days, let alone for a Passover Seder. They don't even have any wine to leave out for the prophet Elijah's ceremonial cup. With no feast to rush home to, Muriel wanders by the Lincoln Memorial, where she encounters a mysterious magician in whose hands juggled eggs become lit candles. After she makes a kind gesture, he encourages her to run home for her Seder, and when she does, she encounters a holiday miracle, a bountiful feast of brisket, soup, and matzah. But who was this mysterious benefactor? When Muriel sees Elijah's ceremonial cup is empty, she has a good idea. This fresh retelling of the classic I.L. Peretz story, best known through Uri Shulevitz's 1973 adaptation The Magician, has been sumptuously illustrated by noted graphic novelist Sean Rubin, who based his art on photographs of D.C. in the 1930s. An author note with information about the holiday is included. An Association of Jewish Libraries Spring Holiday Highlight A Booklist Editors' Choice A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year

Sydney Taylor Award Winner A girl's kindness to a mysterious magician leads to a Passover miracle. Beautifully illustrated and deftly told, this story full of hope, tradition-- and just a touch of magic-- is a new Passover classic in the making. It's the Spring of 1933 in Washington D.C., and the Great Depression is hitting young Muriel's family hard. Her father has lost his job and her family barely has enough food most days-- let alone for a Passover Seder. They don't even have any wine to leave out for the prophet Elijah's ceremonial cup. With no feast to rush home to, Muriel wanders by the Lincoln Memorial, where she encounters a mysterious magician in whose hands juggled eggs become lit candles. After she makes a kind gesture, he encourages her to run home for her Seder, and when she does, she encounters a holiday miracle: a bountiful feast of brisket, soup, and matzah, enough for their whole community to share. But who was this mysterious benefactor? When Muriel sees Elijah's cup is empty, she has a good idea. Sean Rubin's finely-detailed, historically-accurate illustrations, with a color pallete inspired by Marc Chagall, bring a strong sense of setting to this fresh retelling of the I.L. Peretz story best known through Uri Shulevitz's 1973 adaptation The Magician. A perfect gift for those celebrating Passover, or to introduce the holiday traditions to young readers, The Passover Guest is sure to enchant readers of all ages. Brief essays at the end of the story detail author Susan Kusel's inspiration for this retelling, artist Sean Rubin's influences and research, and introduce the traditions associated with Passover celebrations. An Association of Jewish Libraries Spring Holiday Highlight A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book A Booklist Editors' Choice A CCBC Choice A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year

A delightful picture book for the whole family this spring filled with the warmth of a loving family. When a sheep on her family's farm starts acting strangely, Miriam is worried. Spring lambing season is over, so what could be wrong with Snowball? Then—surprise—the sheep gives birth to triplets! When she realizes that the mother has enough milk for only two of her newborns, Miriam knows that the third baby will have to be bottle-fed every four hours. But it's almost Passover, and the family is about to leave for her grandparents' seder. And it's Miriam's turn this year to ask the Four Questions, which she's been practicing for weeks! When Miriam's father decides that they must stay home to care for the lamb, it's up to Miriam to think of a clever and—hilariously fitting—way to rescue both the baby lamb and her family's holiday. Author Linda Marshall based this out-of-the-ordinary Passover tale on a true event that took place on her own farm, weaving in details about sheep farming and infusing it with the warmth shared by a loving family. Readers will root for Miriam and her Passover lamb!

An out-of-this-word Passover fantasy! When Asteroid Goldberg and her parents get stuck in outer space for Passover, Asteroid plans a Passover seder for herself and her family that is truly out-of-this-world! With Jupiter’s moons for matzoh balls and the Big Dipper for a ladle, you’ve never seen a Passover seder like this one. A celebration of Jewish creativity and mighty Jewish girls!

A Jewish mother preparing for Passover tells her young children, the story of Miriam, the Biblical woman who prophesied the birth of Moses.

In this charming and witty Passover story about kindness, community, tradition, and forgiveness, a little mouse disrupts a town's preparations for the holiday when it steals a piece of leavened bread—or chometz—just as all the houses have been swept clean in time for the holiday. It's the morning before the start of Passover, and all the villagers have swept their homes clean of leavened bread, in keeping with the traditions of the holiday. Suddenly, a small mouse steals a piece of bread and tears through the town, spoiling everyone's hard work. But just when it seems as if the townsfolk will never be ready for their Seder, the little mouse's actions unwittingly bring everyone together, to work as a group to save the holiday. Jewish families at Passover will embrace this rollicking, funny, and ultimately inspiring story—based on an original tale from the Talmud—that weaves together the themes of community, kindness, charity, and forgiveness. It's sure to become a modern holiday classic that's shared year after year among the generations. An afterword discusses the story from the Talmud that the author used as her inspiration and includes a glossary of terms that will be useful to young readers. ★ "An excellent addition to the Jewish tradition."—Kirkus, starred review

This fascinating, informative, and beautifully illustrated books translates the Passover seder's Four Questions into twenty-three languages and provides capsule histories of the Jews in the countries where the languages are spoken. The recitation of the Four Questions at the beginning of the Passover seder by the youngest participant is one of the highlights of the evening and captures its very essence: to keep the memory of the Exodus of the Jews from Egyptian slavery alive in our minds, and to teach our children about their heritage and history. This unique volume covers a variety of languages of the Jewish Diaspora—from French to Farsi, from Latin to Ladino, from Amharic to Afrikaans, from Yiddish to Swedish to Chinese. For each language a translation (and, where necessary, a transliteration) of the Four Questions is provided, accompanied by a brief overview of Jewish life and culture among the speakers of the language, and an illustrations of either historical or contemporary interest. The perfect seder gift, Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? is also an excellent introduction to Jewish history in the Diaspora for young and old alike.

A deeply moving story about community and resilience, from the point-of-view of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks on September 11, from Eisner Award-nominated author-illustrator Sean Rubin. * "A resonant, beautifully rendered testament to life and renewal." —Kirkus, starred review In the 1970s, nestled between the newly completed Twin Towers in New York City, a Callery pear tree was planted. Over the years, the tree provided shade for people looking for a place to rest and a home for birds, along with the first blooms of spring. On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree’s home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: the tree had survived. Dubbed the “Survivor Tree,” it was moved to the Bronx to recover. And in the thoughtful care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Callery pear was nursed back to health. Almost a decade later, the Survivor Tree returned home and was planted in the 9/11 Memorial to provide beauty and comfort...and also hope. This is the story of that tree—and of a nation in recovery. Told from the tree’s perspective, This Very Tree is a touching tribute to first responders, the resilience of America, and the restorative power of community.