Is It Passover Yet?

The first signs of Passover are visual: the blooming, the greenness, a warmer sun. “When we see from the window a robin or wren/ And the squirrels play high up on the trees once again.../ Passover is on its way,” writes first-time author Barash. But as the big day approaches, attention shifts indoors, and bystanders become busy participants: “Everyone scurries from room to room” cleaning the house from top to bottom. The fancy dishes are brought out, delicious smells “of kugel and sweet matzo cake and cinnamon” waft from the kitchen, the doorbell heralds the arrival of guests, and soon a tuneful seder is underway. Although some readers may wonder why the pictured seder seems to be starting in mid-afternoon, this is in all other ways a gentle, thoughtful tribute to the joys of being observant in both a secular and religious sense. Psacharopulo’s (Jingle Paws) winsome pictures (her chipper, ovoid birds are adorable) and happy, collaborative family speak to a time of year when hope and renewal seem particularly close at hand. Ages 4–7. Illustrator’s agency: Good Illustration. (Mar.)