THE STORY OF PASSOVER

A gentle retelling of the Passover story, first published in 1965 with pictures by Symeon Shimin, has been newly illustrated by Weihs. She enhances and extends the text by showing Jews of many ethnic groups and races, in various family configurations, in the US and abroad. The oil paintings, in a palette of subdued lilac, sand, hazy green, and aqua, have a dreamy quality, eliminating precise details in favor of mood. That may be why readers unfamiliar with aspects of the holiday will find some details puzzling—the proclamation, ``A large dish called the Seder Plate is filled with foods that remind us of the time in Egypt,'' appears on one page, with explanations of the food and what each one symbolizes appearing several pages later. Simon concludes with recipes and some suggestions for creating Passover place cards. Those looking for a general overview of Passover's rituals and background will find this charmingly low-key. (Picture book. 6-8)