The Passover Guest

by Susan Kusel (Author) Sean Rubin (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

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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$8.99

ALA/Booklist

Starred Review
Among the many Passover titles, this one stands out, full of hope and heart and set in a historical context that will resonate today.

Kirkus

Starred Review
Kindness is rewarded and a holiday is celebrated in this endearing, satisfying story.

None

While there have been several adaptations of Peretz's tale (e.g., Shulevitz's The Magician), this version's message of hope during dark times feels especially relevant now, and the young protagonist and vividly depicted setting make the story accessible to picture-book audiences. 

School Library Journal

Starred Review

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

★ Rubin's digitally enhanced graphite illustrations are rendered in the style of Chagall in terms of color (blues and greens, accented in yellow), lighting, windows, and even a few chickens. . . . Among the many Passover titles, this one stands out, full of hope and heart and set in a historical context that will resonate today.—Booklist, Starred Review

★ Rubin's line-and-color art beautifully conveys a Washington, D.C., spring with cherry blossoms blooming, crowded streets that also evoke a long-ago, slightly off-kilter European town, and a gloriously bright holiday evening. Kindness is rewarded and a holiday is celebrated in this endearing, satisfying story.—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

With its warm, forthright narrative and beautifully evoked setting, this book is an enchanting addition to the Passover shelf.—Publishers Weekly

In the book's stunning mixed-media art, each double-page spread conveys emotion through color and light. . . . While there have been several adaptations of Peretz's tale (e.g., Shulevitz's The Magician), this version's message of hope during dark times feels especially relevant now, and the young protagonist and vividly depicted setting make the story accessible to picture-book audiences. —The Horn Book

Kusel's adaptation preserves the wonder of a holiday that always captivates children who yearn to lay eyes on Elijah or at least witness a sign that he has indeed visited during their Passover Seder. . . . this is a wonderful story about hope. — AJL News and Reviews
Susan Kusel
Susan Kusel is a synagogue librarian and children's book buyer for an independent bookstore. She has served as a member of the Caldecott Medal selection committee and the chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee. The Passover Guest is Kusel's first picture book. She lives in Arlington, VA.

Sean Rubin has illustrated several books for children. He wrote and illustrated the graphic novel Bolivar, which was nominated for an Eisner award and is being adapted into a feature film with Fox Studios. He also illustrated The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The Story of Alan Bean by Dean Robbins. Rubin studied art and archeology at Princeton University. He lives in Charleston, VA.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780823453221
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Neal Porter Books
Publication date
January 02, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV016150 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 20th Century
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
JUV017120 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Passover
Library of Congress categories
History
United States
20th century
Jews
Depressions
1929
Washington (D.C.)
Passover
Judaism
Customs and practices
Sydney Taylor Book Award
Winner 2022 - 2022
Association of Jewish Libraries Spring Holiday Highlight
CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
Booklist Editors' Choice
CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year

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