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PASSOVER IS COMING!

From the A Holiday Is Coming! series

A sweet introduction in spite of its incongruities.

This playfully illustrated board book introduces some of the customs and rituals of the centerpiece of the Passover holiday: the Seder.

Passover will soon be here, and a three-generation family (and their dog) prepare for the traditional holiday. With dustpan and broom they clean every room. Grandfather and grandchild wet their hands and scoop up the meal that will make the matzo balls for the soup. Grandmother and grandchild prepare the Seder plate. Parsley, egg, bitter herbs, bone, greens, and charoset are all there. As the Seder begins, the children recite the traditional four questions they have learned. They dip, drink, and eat, and lean back in their seats. Now it is time to find the afikomen. The book ends back at the table: “Our seder is great, / We all celebrate!” Following the same format used in Shabbat is Coming! (2014) and Hanukkah is Coming! (2015), Newman’s rhyming couplets are followed on each page with the titular “Passover is coming!” Unfortunately though, that only works for the first half of the book; for the second half, “Passover is here!” would have been more appropriate. Also, there is a disconnect between text and illustration on the four-questions page, as the text has the children learning, but the illustration has them at the Seder reciting the questions.

A sweet introduction in spite of its incongruities. (Board book. 1-4)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4677-5242-8

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Kar-Ben

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016

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MOO, BAA, FA LA LA LA LA!

Cute and sprightly but not a standout.

Deck the stalls?

A bevy of barnyard animals, a cat, and some dogs get fully into the Christmas spirit by sprucing up the farm with colorful decorations, including holly berries and sparkling baubles. They have a great time and sing while going about their merry chores in a manner somewhat in keeping with the rhythm of the classic tune “Deck the Halls.” (In fact, a flock of sheep are shown holding song sheets for it.) As might be expected with these particular celebrants, some of the familiar lyrics are altered just a bit; for instance, “boughs of holly” is “translated” as “cows and holly.” Adult readers expecting the rhythm here to work exactly as it does in the original will be disappointed, because it doesn’t—it’s clunky. This is merely a brief, lightweight spoof of the familiar ditty, so it’s recommended that grown-ups read rather than sing this—except for that final line!—to very young targeted audiences, who may be unfamiliar with the actual song anyway. Some fun is still to be had in the illustrations, however. The spirited, wittily expressive animal characters are depicted having a fine time romping about and producing a variety of onomatopoeic sounds throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Cute and sprightly but not a standout. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-66591-435-2

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Boynton Bookworks

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

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