The Passover Mouse

by Joy Nelkin Wieder, Shahar Kober (Illustrator)

Overview

A mouse upsets villagers just before Passover by stealing a crumb of bread from one house and running into another, then brings neighbors together to finish preparing for the holiday. Includes background information about the story and glossary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984895516
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/28/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

JOY NELKIN WIEDER is the author of over 30 books for children. She is also an illustrator, and her work has been exhibited in libraries and synagogues around the greater Boston area. She is a frequent school and library visitor and runs children's writing sessions on historical fiction, oral history, and Jewish children's books, highlighting Shabbat, family, and ancient Israel. Learn more about her work at jnwieder.com.

SHAHAR KOBER is a prolific children's book illustrator whose work has been published worldwide. He was the recipient of a Sydney Taylor Honor Award in 2009 for Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride. He lives in a small town in Israel, where he also works as an art director and illustration teacher. See more of his work at skober.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram at @shaharkober.

Editorial Reviews

★ 2019-11-05
This animal story may help explain why Jews became known as the People of the Book: Even the holiest books might include jokes or fables or riddles.

This picture book, arguably, includes all three. It's a very silly story about a very serious problem. Wieder explains that, when they're preparing for the holiday of Passover, observant Jews are required "to remove all leavened food, or chometz—down to the last bread crumb!" Fastidious Jews are never certain when it's safe to stop searching. The Babylonian Talmud addressed the issue with a sort of brainteaser, paraphrased in the author's note at the end of this book: "The Jewish sages discussed the possibility of mice bringing chometz into a house that had already been searched for it." Kober takes the passage as an opportunity to paint utterly adorable mice with heads shaped like apostrophes. (He also finds a surprising variety of shades in the skin tones of the human Jewish villagers.) And the author not only works in a chase scene, with townspeople and a cat, but somehow makes a quote from the Talmud seem like a punchline. The endless arguments about cats and mice concludes with: "…This question is not decided." But the story ends on a touching note, as the whole village joins together in a last-minute search for breadcrumbs.

A book that fits moving scenes, puzzles, and mice into the same story is an excellent addition to the Jewish tradition. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

★ "An excellent addition to the Jewish tradition." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Heartwarming and humorous.” —Booklist

"This clever story, inspired by a discussion in the Talmud, celebrates community and friendship. . . . The message of kindness and generous giving, as the characters move from anger to friendship, is both ancient and relevant today.” —School Library Journal

"Wieder’s brisk prose—punctuated by the refrain 'A mouse! A mouse! Brought bread into our house!'—and Kober’s warmhearted cartooning successfully turn the story into one of community cooperation and celebration." —Publishers Weekly

"What may be sur­pris­ing about this amus­ing sto­ry is that it is based on an actu­al pas­sage from the Tal­mud. . . . The bright­ly col­ored and expres­sive illus­tra­tions are an ener­getic match for the live­ly sto­ry." —Jewish Book Council
 

From the Publisher