Talia and the Passover Hug-gadah

Pale-skinned Talia’s creative ears transform a Passover-related word into something entirely different in this amiable picture book from Elovitz Marshall, an addition to the Talia series. Asked to place Haggadahs at every seat, the protagonist hears HUG-gadah and spends the rest of the Passover seder certain that the text requires everyone to engage in snuggles. The guests warmly embrace upon arriving, but shouldn’t there be more hugging? As the seder proceeds, Talia has four questions of her own: “Who gets hugs? When do we do the hugging? Where do we do the hugging? And most important: Why do we have a book called the HUG-gadah?” Finally, Grandma lovingly sets her straight by explaining that Haggadah means “the telling” and details “how we escaped slavery in Egypt to become free people in the Land of Israel.” Even so, readers may not feel Talia is that far off the mark: cushiony, rounded-edge characters by Assirelli make everyone look cuddly. A note about Passover concludes. Ages 3–8. (Jan.)