1. Wonders and Miracles: A Passover Companion
Scholastic Press
Wonders and Miracles: A Passover Companion is a treasure, a book the entire family will appreciate. The book was written and compiled by well-known Jewish storyteller Eric A. Kimmel. This large and handsome 136-page collection of material about Passover includes: art covering 3,000 years, traditions, history, recipes, poems, blessings, prayers and songs. Scholastic Press published Wonders and Miracles in 2004. The ISBN is 0439071755. Read my review of Wonders and Miracles: A Passover Companion.
2. Passover: Celebrating Now Remembering Then
Blue Apple Books
Passover: Celebrating Now Remembering Then provides a great deal of information about Passover and a family's Passover Seder without overwhelming the reader. The folk-art inspired paintings of a family's preparations and celebration create a mood of joy. The artwork and fold-out pages contrast the "then" and "now" of Passover in a visually interesting manner. This is the second picture book collaboration by author Harriet Ziefert and artist Karla Gudeon. Blue Apple Books published the book in 2010. The ISBN is 9781609050207. Read my review of Passover: Celebrating Now Remembering Then.
3. Celebrate Passover
National Geographic Society
Celebrate Passover is a nonfiction books for kids in grades 1-4. The book is part of the Holidays Around the World series published by National Geographic Society. If you are looking for a book with lots of excellent photographs and information about Passover celebrations in a number of countries, I recommend Celebrate Passover. National Geographic Society published the book in 2006. The ISBN is 0792259246. Read my review of Celebrate Passover.
4. The Passover Lamb
Random House
5. Four Special Questions: A Passover Story
If you are looking for a book to introduce Passover to young children, this Festival Time! Picture book would be a good choice. The colorful, childlike watercolor illustrations by Jan Barger Cohen and Jonny Zucker’s simple text provide a brief overview of a Jewish family’s Passover preparations and celebration. At the end of the book is a two page section, "What is Passover about?" that provides more detailed information and definitions (Barron’s, 2003. ISBN: 9780764122675)
6. It's Seder Time
It's the photos of children celebrating the Passover seder at their Jewish preschool that make this picture book special. Each page features a large photo, along with one or two sentences of text. The children make matzah and charset as they prepare for their celebration. They dress up and reenact the Passover story, using Torah masks. At the end of the book are directions for the masks and a page of detailed information about the Passover seder. (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 9780761383086)
7. The Secret Seder
This bittersweet picture book by Doreen Rappaport is about a Jewish family hiding in France during Hitler’s march towards Europe. Jacques and his father take a grave risk by going into the mountains to celebrate a secret seder. The story and Emily Arnold McCully’s paintings capture the tension and the emotion of the event. While the participants are bitter about their own lack of freedom, they rejoice in the sweetness of celebrating the Seder together. (Hyperion Books, 2005. ISBN: 9780786807772)
8. Celebrating Passover
With photographs by Lawrence Migdale and text by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, Celebrating Passover documents one Jewish family’s Passover. Nine-year-old Micah Kamrass and his family begin their preparations by reading about the traditions of Passover and, then, bring these traditions to life in their own preparations and seder celebration. The detailed explanations and the photographs of the family’s activities make this an excellent book for 6-12 year olds. (Holiday House, 2000. ISBN: 9780823414208)
9. The Matzah That Papa Brought Home
This picture book, a cumulative tale in rhyme, is one that children of all ages will enjoy. The tale, narrated by a young girl, tells the story of her family’s Passover Seder, starting with Papa coming home with the matzah. Ned Bittinger's paintings are wonderful, particularly the family scenes around the Seder table. At the end of the book is a two-page summary of the story of Passover and information about some of the symbols and traditions of the Seder. (Scholastic, 1995. ISBN: 0590471465)