Looking for a great Passover gift for your niece or nephew?  A book about Passover that you can enjoy together is a fabulous idea.  Here are five of our favorites that both entertain and educate kids about the importance of this holiday.  Passover begins on the eve of April 8, 2009.




The Matza Man: A Passover Story
By Naomi Howland
Hardcover
Ages 4-8

A highly-energized matzah man leaps out of the oven and leads a chase throughout an entire village in the midst of Passover preparations.  Children will giggle at the Matzah Man’s chutzpah as he teases the very townspeople who would love to eat him at their Seder.  He successfully eludes almost everyone but ultimately falls prey to a sly fox in this satisfying tale that ends with a creative twist.
 


Five Little Gefiltes
By Dave Horowitz
Hardcover
Ages 4-8

Based on the story Five Little Ducks, five little gefilte fish escape their jar and go off to explore New York City.  Leaving a worried Mama Gefilte behind, the fish manage to survive their adventure and eventually return safely home.  This hilarious rhyming story is packed with Yiddish with a handy glossary to study just in time for Passover.   
 


Only Nine Chairs: A Tall Tale for Passover
By Deborah Uchi Miller
Illustrated by Karen Ostrove
Paperback
Ages 4-8

Children will laugh at this silly story about a family who is unprepared for the ten extra guests who show up to celebrate Passover.  With only nine chairs, each family member takes it upon himself to find a solution for the seating dilemma.  The cartoon drawings add further appeal in this funny, rhyming tale of about a jam-packed Seder celebration.
 



Matzo Ball Moon
By Leslea Newman
Illustrated by Elaine Greenstein
Paperback
Ages 5-8

Eleanor and her Bubbe together make the yummiest matzo balls for the chicken soup on Passover.  One by one, the matzo balls disappear as various family members sneak into the kitchen and sample the delicious creation.  When everyone finally sits down to eat, there are not enough Matzo balls to go around, until Eleanor solves the problem.  The warmth of a family coming together in a Passover celebration is at the heart of this enjoyable story.
 



The Secret Seder
By Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
Hardcover
Ages 5-9

In a serious, realistic portrait about Passover, a young boy and his family are masquerading as Catholics in France during WWII.  They bravely slip under the radar of the Nazi soldiers and join other Jews in a special Seder celebration. Despite limited supplies, the resilient group engages in a traditional ceremony, while remembering and praying for those who have suffered major atrocities.