cover image Matzoh Mouse

Matzoh Mouse

Lauren Wohl. HarperCollins Publishers, $14.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-06-026580-9

This childlike and wryly funny story focuses on two special aspects of every Jewish holiday celebration: family relationships and food. While straightening up the boxes of kosher edibles that her mother has bought for Passover, Sarah notices her favorite Seder treat--chocolate-covered matzoh. ``The temptation was overwhelming,'' and over the next few days Sarah nibbles her way through nearly the entire contents of a box. At the first Seder, Sarah is embarrassed and worried, but when her relatives notice the absence of chocolate-covered matzoh, they gently tease her about the ``matzoh mouse'' in their midst. In her first book, Wohl provides a sweet treat--her unadorned telling brims with familial warmth. Keavney's paintings, however, are uneven--characters seem posed, and her palette sometimes is too somber to sustain the story's lighthearted tone. Ages 5-8. (Feb.)