The Passover Mouse

by Joy Nelkin Wieder (Author) Shahar Kober (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

In this charming and witty Passover story about kindness, community, tradition, and forgiveness, a little mouse disrupts a town's preparations for the holiday when it steals a piece of leavened bread--or chometz--just as all the houses have been swept clean in time for the holiday. It's the morning before the start of Passover, and all the villagers have swept their homes clean of leavened bread, in keeping with the traditions of the holiday. Suddenly, a small mouse steals a piece of bread and tears through the town, spoiling everyone's hard work. But just when it seems as if the townsfolk will never be ready for their Seder, the little mouse's actions unwittingly bring everyone together, to work as a group to save the holiday. Jewish families at Passover will embrace this rollicking, funny, and ultimately inspiring story--based on an original tale from the Talmud--that weaves together the themes of community, kindness, charity, and forgiveness. It's sure to become a modern holiday classic that's shared year after year among the generations. An afterword discusses the story from the Talmud that the author used as her inspiration and includes a glossary of terms that will be useful to young readers.

★ An excellent addition to the Jewish tradition.--Kirkus, starred review

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School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--This clever story, inspired by a discussion in the Talmud, celebrates community and friendship. Lonely Rivka is busily cleaning her house of bread and preparing for Passover, when a mouse appears and grabs a piece of bread from the pile. Now there might be bread missed in her house! The mouse runs into another house, and soon there are two mice and a cat unaccounted for, and a lot of unhappy people who might need to re-clean their houses. After consulting with the rabbi, they prepare to re-clean, but it is so much work. The rabbi's son convinces the villagers to pitch in. Ultimately, instead of being alone, Rivka makes her Passover meal for a houseful of helpful guests, and everyone is happy. The clear text has a folkloric feel, seamlessly including facts about the holiday and a repetitive refrain that encourages participation. The message of kindness and generous giving, as the characters move from anger to friendship, is both ancient and relevant today. The art has a rustic, old-fashioned look, despite the cartoon characters. The town is full of small, wood buildings, and the largely brown-and-green coloring is slightly splotchy, as if done with wood block or paint on wood. The women are clothed in dresses and kerchiefs, and the mice and cat are mischievously appealing. The whole comes together beautifully, celebrating the Passover spirit in an appealing package. VERDICT A welcome addition to any library serving Jewish patrons.--Amy Lilien-Harper, Wilton Library, CT

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Mice are no strangers to Passover picture books, but they're usually anthropomorphized seder participants; here, a mouse is just a mouse. In a small village, a widow named Rivka prepares for Passover by scrubbing her home from top to bottom and rooting out any leavened food--which is forbidden to those who strictly observe the holiday. Just when it looks like all the holiday housekeeping is done, a mouse finds a bit of bread and scampers across the village with it, setting off a chain reaction that may require the stringent cleaning to begin all over again. Although the premise may strike many readers as esoteric (it's based on a passage from the Talmud, the ancient commentary on Jewish law), Wieder's brisk prose--punctuated by the refrain "A mouse! A mouse! Brought bread into our house!"--and Kober's warmhearted cartooning successfully turn the story into one of community cooperation and celebration. There's good news for the mouse, too: Rivka leaves a plate of matzo outside the little rodent's home in the wall. "On this night," she says, "even a thief shouldn't go to bed hungry!" Ages 3-7. (Jan.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

★ An excellent addition to the Jewish tradition. —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Heartwarming and humorous." —Booklist

This clever story, inspired by a discussion in the Talmud, celebrates community and friendship. . . . The message of kindness and generous giving, as the characters move from anger to friendship, is both ancient and relevant today." —School Library Journal

Wieder's brisk prose—punctuated by the refrain 'A mouse! A mouse! Brought bread into our house!'—and Kober's warmhearted cartooning successfully turn the story into one of community cooperation and celebration. —Publishers Weekly

What may be sur­pris­ing about this amus­ing sto­ry is that it is based on an actu­al pas­sage from the Tal­mud. . . . The bright­ly col­ored and expres­sive illus­tra­tions are an ener­getic match for the live­ly sto­ry. —Jewish Book Council
Joy Nelkin Wieder
JOY NELKIN WIEDER is the author of over 30 books for children. She is also an illustrator, and her work has been exhibited in libraries and synagogues around the greater Boston area. She is a frequent school and library visitor and runs children's writing sessions on historical fiction, oral history, and Jewish children's books, highlighting Shabbat, family, and ancient Israel. Learn more about her work at jnwieder.com.

SHAHAR KOBER is a prolific children's book illustrator whose work has been published worldwide. He was the recipient of a Sydney Taylor Honor Award in 2009 for Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride. He lives in a small town in Israel, where he also works as an art director and illustration teacher. See more of his work at skober.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram at @shaharkober.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781984895516
Lexile Measure
590
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Publication date
January 28, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
JUV017120 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Passover
JUV039280 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Religion & Faith
Library of Congress categories
Mice
Community life
Passover
Judaism
Customs and practices

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