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Honor, Sydney Taylor Book Award
In this wordless time-travel adventure, three children at a Passover seder visit ancient Egypt to help baby Moses find his way safely to Pharaoh’s daughter.
When a family settles at the table for Passover, their dog nabs the afikomen bag (containing matzah used for the seder) and dives under the tablecloth. The children follow him and find themselves transported to ancient Egypt. There, they see baby Moses’ mother and sister Miriam placing him in a reed basket. The baby’s journey down the Nile is hazardous — he encounters several obstacles along the way, including a wily crocodile. Thanks to the three children, he reaches his destination unharmed, with a piece of afikomen tucked into his basket. The children return to the seder table and, exhausted, fall asleep. But what are their parents to make of the grains of sand in the afikomen bag?
Includes an author’s note about the meaning of the Passover holiday and about different afikomen traditions.
Key Text Features
author’s note
explanation
illustrations
literary references
panels
sources
wordless
Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
“A generally lighthearted tale, but one that nods at the more serious history behind the holiday and at the concept of reliving the Jewish enslavement on Passover.” — Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW
“Children familiar with the story of Passover ... will delight in decoding the pictures, looking for hidden clues, and retelling the tale.” — School Library Journal
“Passover magic.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Sweet and fun.” — Booklist
“Even readers unfamiliar with the tale will find themselves drawn in by Eshet's lyrical ink and watercolor drawings.” — Publishers Weekly
“Afikomen should be a number one pick.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“A unique, comic-style wordless picture book.” — Calgary Herald