THE ROYAL RECIPE

In her latest series outing, a 10-year-old Jewish girl has big plans for Purim.

With her “super-nose,” Saralee, her grandfather’s executive assistant at their family restaurant, can identify the ingredients of any dish with just a whiff. The Siegel House Restaurant is planning a special Purim celebration, with historical costumes and décor, and, in order to make hamantashen with the exact ingredients used in the original Purim story, Saralee will draw on her special talent. Her entire family helps out with preparations—Zadie, Bubbie, Aunt Bean and Aunt Lottie, Uncle Sam, and even Saralee’s younger cousin, Josh (Saralee’s parents aren’t mentioned)—but a party coordinator has also been hired…one who wears fancy robes and has a strangely deep knowledge of ancient Persia. Saralee’s suspicion grows as he usurps her role and becomes closer to her beloved Zadie. She realizes that her fantastic nasal power is magically bringing aspects of the ancient story to life—could the stranger be Haman, the evil royal adviser who in the story of Purim wanted to destroy the Jews? Slowly revealing the holiday’s origins, Saralee’s energetic first-person narrative story about her eccentric, loving family offers a different approach to one of the most joyous Jewish festivals. The humorous grayscale illustrations show major characters as light-skinned, with some tonal variations.

Baking, celebrating, storytelling: The high points of the Purim holiday are here in this amusing series addition.