January 23, 2017
Silva makes her children’s book debut with the warmhearted story of a family’s Passover seder, during which one of the young cousins, Rachel, gets fed up with how bad her Great-Uncle Harry is at hiding the afikomen. Taking the initiative, Rachel organizes a scavenger hunt for her cousins, featuring rhyming clues built around the ingredients on a seder plate (“The shankbone reminds us/ of when the Jews fled./ Find Clue Number Four/ Where Frank rests his head”). Sakamoto’s (Let’s Build) genial cartoons send Rachel and her cousins all over Great-Uncle Harry’s house, quietly emphasizing the closeness among the older and younger members of the family. It’s a no-stress, no-conflict portrait of a Passover celebration that emphasizes ingenuity and the creation of new traditions to accompany the old. Ages 4–9. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates.
February 1, 2017
Enjoy a new way to hide and hunt for the afikoman at the Passover Seder.Traditions are an integral part of every family Passover Seder, but for Rachel the hunt for the afikoman has gotten boring. Her great-uncle Harry, who leads the Seder, uses the same three hiding places, and the children know exactly where to look. (The afikoman, the middle board of matzo, is usually hidden by the adult conducting the Seder, found by the children after an adventurous hunt, and redeemed for a present.) Rachel decides that this year she will hold a scavenger hunt to add to the fun. She assembles her art supplies and hands out the first clue, a piece from a jigsaw puzzle. This clue, written in verse, provides a hint to where to find the following clue and is also a reference to a food on the Seder plate. There's some confusion, much laughter, and finally success as the puzzle is assembled: it's a Seder plate, and the missing matzo is uncovered underneath the actual Seder plate on the table. Silva's story is humorous, and children familiar with the holiday will enjoy solving the clues. Sakamoto's people are round-faced and white, with cartoon eyes, blush-red cheeks, and big smiles. This may help families develop a new and fun-filled addition to their Seder traditions. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)
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July 1, 2017
Rachel decides to play with tradition at her family's seder by creating an afikoman scavenger hunt to find the hidden matzah. She gets everyone involved in searching and solving holiday-themed clues. The story is playful and substantive (though not precise about the order of the seder). The cheerful illustrations are true to the story but also stereotypical and unimaginative.
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)