Pirate Passover

With Passover on the way, young Captain Drew, who reads as white, and a pirate crew portrayed with varied skin tones, are getting ready. Around the ship, they engage in a thorough cleaning, the removal of the chametz (leavened bread), and the creation of a seder plate. Just as the shipboard seder gets underway, though, a massive storm hits the deck (“Matzah balls began rolling along the ship’s plank./ Into the ocean they rolled. Then they sank”), and the ship runs aground. But Captain Drew knows that, on Passover, every home opens its doors to all who are hungry, and the crew is readily welcomed into a large gathering at a beachside house (Bernie, Captain Drew’s parrot, squawks the Four Questions). Press’s premise is whimsical, while round-headed, bright-eyed characters from Gulliver appear thoroughly earnest, impressing upon readers how observance and tradition persist no matter the circumstances. Ages 3–8. (Feb.)