cover image Happy Passover, Rosie

Happy Passover, Rosie

Jane Breskin Zalben. Henry Holt & Company, $13.95 (289pp) ISBN 978-0-8050-1221-7

In this complement to Beni's First Chanukah , Beni's cousin Rosie celebrates the first Passover seder she will remember. Rosie and her brother Max help hunt for stray bread crumbs; Rosie recites the Four Questions for the first time; then, to top all, she finds the afikomen and wins the prize from Grandpa. Soft, decorative illustrations, similar in style to the illustrations in some Haggadot and depicting a warm, loving bear family highlight this narration of a family Seder. The fear Rosie feels when she believes Elijah has really come (it is only Grandpa) is a nice touch. There are a few seeming inaccuracies: everyday chocolate chip cookies in the cookie jar, instead of the kosher-for-Passover macaroons, and burning the chametz inside instead of outside. Still, this simple, pleasant story is a welcome addition to the growing collection of picture books with Jewish themes. Ages 3-6. (Apr.)