The Passover Guest
by Susan Kusel (Author) Sean Rubin (Illustrator)
Sydney Taylor Award Winner
Muriel assumes her family is too poor to hold a Passover Seder this year-- but an act of kindness and a mysterious magician change everything.
It's the Spring of 1933 in Washington D.C., and the Great Depression is hitting young Muriel's family hard. Her father has lost his job, and her family barely has enough food most days, let alone for a Passover Seder. They don't even have any wine to leave out for the prophet Elijah's ceremonial cup.
With no feast to rush home to, Muriel wanders by the Lincoln Memorial, where she encounters a mysterious magician in whose hands juggled eggs become lit candles. After she makes a kind gesture, he encourages her to run home for her Seder, and when she does, she encounters a holiday miracle, a bountiful feast of brisket, soup, and matzah.
But who was this mysterious benefactor? When Muriel sees Elijah's ceremonial cup is empty, she has a good idea.
This fresh retelling of the classic I.L. Peretz story, best known through Uri Shulevitz's 1973 adaptation The Magician, has been sumptuously illustrated by noted graphic novelist Sean Rubin, who based his art on photographs of D.C. in the 1930s. An author note with information about the holiday is included.
- An Association of Jewish Libraries Spring Holiday Highlight
- A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
- A Booklist Editors' Choice
- A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year
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School Library Journal
Gr 2-4--Inspired by the I.L. Peretz story behind Uri Shulevitz's The Magician, this book chronicles a poor family living through the Great Depression on the night of Passover. April 10, 1933, was a Passover like no other; in the depths of the Great Depression, many families could not afford to hold a true seder. Because her family's table is empty, a young Jewish girl named Muriel spends the day admiring the blooming cherry blossoms along the National Mall in Washington, DC. A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger begins a series of events that lead to a full Passover dinner shared by the entire neighborhood. Only Muriel notices the absence of the stranger--and Elijah's empty wine glass--at the end of the evening. Filled with references to the holiday and accompanying traditions, this is a superb addition to modern celebrations. People of various races appear in the background even as the story focuses on a Jewish neighborhood. Abundant details--taking viewers from shtetl to the Capitol, for example--fill every page, enhancing the story's emotions through color and texture. The length of the text makes this story well suited for older children. A short notes section at the end of the book explains more about the holiday and gives readers a glimpse behind the author's and illustrator's choices. VERDICT Kusel's charming debut is a necessary volume for every holiday collection.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
In this picture book retelling of I.L. Peretz's "The Magician," it's the height of the Great Depression, and young Muriel and her family, who live in Washington, D.C., are facing a bleak Passover. They "didn't have enough to eat even on ordinary days," writes debut author Kusel, and there's certainly no wine for Prophet Elijah's cup. As Muriel walks home past the city's landmarks--rendered in Chagall-inspired, curvilinear art by Rubin--she encounters a clownlike man on the Lincoln Memorial steps and shares her plight; that evening, he reappears at her family's door, conjuring up a magnificent Passover meal. When their rabbi confirms it's not an illusion, the entire Jewish community celebrates together, and it dawns on Muriel that the fellow was Elijah himself. With its warm, forthright narrative and beautifully evoked setting, this book is an enchanting addition to the Passover shelf. Notes from the creators discuss the book's beginnings. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
JUV017120 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Passover
United States
20th century
Jews
Depressions
1929
Washington (D.C.)
Passover
Judaism
Customs and practices
