cover image Passover Around the World

Passover Around the World

Tami Lehman-Wilzig, , illus. by Elizabeth Wolf. . Kar-Ben, $15.95 (48pp) ISBN 978-1-58013-215-2

In this vibrant picture book, Lehman-Wilzig (Tasty Bible Stories ) invites readers to travel the globe as she explores how Jews from different countries celebrate Passover. While the story of Passover, celebrating the Jews' freedom from Egyptian slavery, is the same the world over, the customs and foods used to commemorate the holiday can differ widely. At each highlighted destination—including Gibraltar, Ethiopia, Turkey, Iran and Israel among others—the author provides a child-centric anecdote or family story, a sidebar containing basic historical, political and geographical information and a recipe from the area. Wolf's soft impressionistic paintings and colorful maps sustain a festive mood and greatly compliment the book's design. On the final pages, the author gathers summaries of the various customs, additional recipes and a glossary of terms. After reading this book, families may well want to add a new twist—or dish—to their own traditions. Ages 8-10. (Feb.)