A Persian Passover

"Many years ago, in a small town in Iran," siblings Ezra and Roza help their parents prepare for the seder. The traditional cleaning is underway, the ingredients for hallaq--the Persian version of charoset, made from dates, raisins, and nuts--are assembled, and the children are charged with taking the family's sack of flour to the synagogue's community oven, where teams of bakers transform it into matzah. All does not go smoothly when the children apply their fondness for timing things (Ezra's speed, the matzah's making) to another event, but the duo's misadventures provide an opportunity to wander through a bustling, friendly neighborhood, with stops at a local market that end in ample takeaways for the seder. Kheiriyeh's cut paper, pencil-detailed characters, who have brown skin, rosy cheeks, and eager-eyed expressions, resemble those of hinged paper puppets set in scenes bright with blues, reds, and greens. Ages 6-11. (Mar.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2--While racing home with the family's matzoh for Passover, Ezra trips and all of the unleavened bread lands in a puddle. He and his younger sister, Roza, try to purchase more in the market, but with the Jewish holiday starting shortly, all of the vendors are sold out. The children arrive home with their heads hanging low, until their friendly and generous neighbor Mrs. Pirnazar offers to share her matzoh with them. When they find out that she will be spending the holiday alone, they invite her to join their family for the Passover seder. Delightful collage illustrations dominated by red, beige, and turquoise playfully depict a Jewish family in 1950s Iran. Roza helps her mother make the unique Persian charoset salad for the seder (the recipe is appended), and the family enjoys their meal sitting on the floor with all of the ritual food and items beautifully arranged on the sofreh (fabric). Readers will almost smell the parsley, mint, tarragon, and dill wafting through the bustling market. An author's note with additional information about Passover and the Jews of Persia is included, along with a helpful glossary of Hebrew and Persian terms. With so many picture books portraying the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe and North America, this lovely new offering, along with Barbara Diamond Goldin's A Persian Princess, celebrates the diversity of Jewish culture and observance around the world, as well as illustrating the Jewish value of welcoming guests. VERDICT A welcome addition to the holiday bookshelf.--Rachel Kamin

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"A Persian Passover shares the distinct sights and traditions of the Iranian Jewish community..."—Leah F. Finkelshteyn, Senior Editor "Hadassah Magazine, March 2022"