AN INVITATION TO PASSOVER

When Hannah’s extended family can’t attend the Passover seder this year, she invites her friends to celebrate with her.

Hannah, tan-skinned with brown hair, wants to create invitations that will excite her friends—but what should they say? Mom says that Passover is a celebration of spring and new beginnings and a time to remember Jewish history. Dad talks about the celebration of freedom for the Israelites and for everyone today and, of course, the delicious and meaningful foods. Hannah creates four invitations, each representing one of those concepts. Her diverse friends and their families bring special gifts that embrace those ideas and reflect their own cultures. Sammy brings a kite to celebrate spring as they do in India. Ha-Joon brings Korean kimchi, carefully made kosher, to match the bitter herbs of the seder plate. Monique brings song sheets for “Go Down, Moses,” a traditional African American spiritual, to celebrate freedom. Rina, Hannah’s friend from Hebrew school, brings homemade matzah (Rina’s mother notes that when she was a child in Moscow, it was forbidden by the government). Each aspect of the seder is explained, and Hannah lovingly weaves her friends’ gifts into the Passover story. Depicting smiling, hugging characters, Kolker’s cheery artwork brims with joy. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet and tender holiday tale celebrating friendship and diversity.