A Place for Elijah

by Kelly Easton Ruben, Joanne Friar (Illustrator)

Overview

As Sarah's family prepares for Passover, Sarah makes sure to save a chair at the table for the prophet Elijah who is said to visit every seder. But when the electricity goes out in the buildings across the street and the neighbors start arriving at Sarah's apartment, her parents invite each visitor to join the seder. Sarah adds another place setting for Elijah, and then another, but soon the table is full with people from her neighborhood and there are no more chairs to spare! How can Sarah honor the Passover tradition of saving a place for Elijah?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512486759
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	44 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kelly Easton Ruben teaches in Hamline University's MFA Writing for Children and Young Adults program in St.Paul, MN. She is the author of ten award-winning children's books, including The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes, Hiroshima Dreams, and Walking on Air.
Joanne Friar grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth where she studied illustration and photography. She and her family make their home in Somerset, Massachusetts.

Read an Excerpt

A Place for Elijah

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By Kelly Easton Ruben, Joanne Friar

Kar-Ben Publishing

Copyright © 2016 Kelly Easton Ruben
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4677-7846-6

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CHAPTER 1

It is the first evening of Passover.

Mama and Sarah set the table. "We mustn't forget to make a place for Elijah," Sarah says.

Every year at Passover, Sarah sets a place and leaves the door ajar so Elijah the Prophet can come in and visit the seder.

"I would never forget," Mama says, "but it's awfully cold to leave the door open."

Outside the window, a cold wind blows. Fat raindrops tap the pane: Let us in.

Papa brings the colorful Passover plate. Little Jacob brings in matzah wrapped snugly in a napkin. "I have a job too!"

Sarah counts the places at the table. There are six places, and five in their family: Mama, Papa, Ruthie, Jacob, and Sarah. That leaves an empty seat.

"Elijah will sit next to me," she says.

Mama lights a fire. The flames yell at the cold with hot tongues: Go away!

"So cold for spring," says Papa as he looks out the window.

Across the street are shops with apartments above, where the shop owners live: Music Man Miguel, Doughnut Dan, Bagel Ben, Mrs. Faaiz who arranges flowers — and the boy who sells magazines and chews bubble gum.

The sky is melting from blue to gray. Soon it will be dark. The lit up windows across the street go off and on.

"Look," Jacob says. "The eyes of the buildings are blinking.

Now they're closed."

"The power has gone off on the other side of the street," Papa says.

"Oh no," Sarah says. "The neighbors will get cold."

"I hope it's fixed soon," Mama says. "Everyone, wash your hands."

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from A Place for Elijah by Kelly Easton Ruben, Joanne Friar. Copyright © 2016 Kelly Easton Ruben. Excerpted by permission of Kar-Ben Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

"On a cold, rainy spring evening, Sarah and her family set the Passover Seder table with room for all the invited guests, including a seat for Elijah the Prophet. Sarah's mother lights a fire to warm the house. The Seder begins, and the story of the Jewish people in Egypt and their escape from slavery into the Promised Land is recounted, during which the afikomen is hidden. A knock on the door does not bring the expected guest, Elijah, but Mrs. Faaiz, one of the neighbors. She has lost power and is looking for a place with light and heat. Mama invites her to join them, and Sarah sets another place, sure that Elijah still has a seat. Papa explains the Seder meal to their new guest, including the reasons for matzah and the Seder plate, which includes the charoset, horseradish, parsley, salt water, and a shankbone. Another knock on the door brings Bagel Ben, a neighbor who has also lost power and is looking for a place to warm his soup. He too is invited to the Seder and accepts. As the Seder progresses, multiple additional and uninvited neighbors come in, including Manny the monkey, to share the apartment's power; all are invited to join the Seder. The meal continues and the last guest to knock and get invited in uses the last available seat in the house, saddening Sarah who no longer has a seat to set for Elijah. This last guest is the magazine seller, a boy everyone knows, but not by name. He introduces himself as Elijah! The children are thrilled that their patience waiting for Elijah has been rewarded!

This sweet and family oriented story illustrates a neighborhood of people inclusive of differences and nationalities, and helpful to each other. The story is followed by facts about the Cup of Elijah and the tradition of filling a cup at the Seder for this special guest." — AJL Reviews

From the Publisher

2015-12-22
Everyone is welcome at the Seder table, but will there be a seat for the Prophet Elijah? Sarah and her family joyously prepare for Passover's first Seder. They set the table with an extra place and seat for Elijah, and the door is left open so he can come in. They begin the Seder with a special prayer for their neighbors across the street, whose shops and apartments are without power on this unseasonably cold and rainy night. Music Man Miguel, Doughnut Dan, Bagel Ben, Mrs. Faaiz the florist, and the young boy who sells magazines are all in the dark. One by one these neighbors are drawn to the light and warmth of Sarah's home. As each one is welcomed and provided with a seat at the table and with wonderful, savory food, Sarah sets another place for Elijah. The final visitor is the young boy who is given the only remaining chair. Sarah is really worried until she asks the boy his name. "You never know how Elijah comes, only that he does." Ruben seamlessly weaves information about Passover and its traditions into a tale of a loving family with open hearts that fully embrace the spirit of this ancient holiday. Though a bit stiff, Friar's carefully detailed illustrations, set in blues and yellows, beautifully complement the events. A sweet Pesach indeed. (afterword) (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews