A Favorite Picture Book for Passover

by Thea Crook, Librarian

I came across a wonderful book by Marilyn Hirsh called I Love Passover. The story of Pesach is told through the eyes of a young child, who experiences the wonders of the home-based rituals of the Seder and starts to understand the extraordinary history of faith, courage and miracles. This is an older book (not that old but published in 1985) and is out of print, but copies can be easily found online.

While I was reading it to 1st and 2nd graders, the children were very engaged, sharing the rituals they knew about. I was thrilled to see how much our Akiba-Schechter students already know about Passover.

We actually have few books in our library about Passover, possibly because so much of Pesach takes place in our own homes, but here are some additional picture book suggestions:

Company is Coming by Joan Holub (a fun Passover lift-the-flap book)

The Mouse in the Matzah Factory by Francine Medoff

Nachson Who Was Afraid to Swim by Deborah Bodin Cohen

Kippi and the Missing Matzah by Louise Gikow (a Sesame Passover)

The Adventures of K’ton Ton by Sadie Rosie Weilerstein (This was published in 1935 and is a classic with a story for every Jewish holiday. The main character is called K'ton Ton, which means "very, very little" in Hebrew. He was a late-born miracle and his mother had prayed hard for him, promising to love even a child "no bigger than a thumb." He is often considered the Jewish Tom Thumb.)

The Longest Night by Laurel Snyder

Dinosaur on Passover by Diane Rauchwerger

Miriam’s Cup by Fran Manushkin