Passover on Everest

How is this night different from all other nights? For young Nikki Bart, one answer is where she was in 2008: on Mt. Everest with her mother and “surrounded by a different sort of family,” Burk writes. The Everest climb is part of the duo’s quest to scale the highest peaks across continents—a goal that feels both empowering and “sacred” given mountains’ significance in Jewish history. But this year the climb means missing the coziness of their usual family seders—until their Sherpa guide learns of the holiday and surprises them with a full Passover spread. Orback’s drawings, which combine the feel of documentary photographs with a comics-style digital effect, capture both the grandeur of the setting and the deep human connections that define the holiday. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note and more about Passover conclude. Ages 4–10. (Jan.)