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.
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.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Mar 7, 2023 |
| Specifications | 32 pages | 9 in x 9 in |
| Keywords | Bible story; Old Testament; Judaica; City Beet; On the Corner of Chocolate Avenue; helping others; heritage and culture; imagination; strong female characters; visual storytelling; author's note; author's note; illustrations; Scorpion King; Scorpion King; Prince of Egypt; |
| Written By |
TZIPORAH (TZIPPY) COHEN was born and raised in New York and spent eighteen years in Boston before landing in Canada, where she now lives with her family. Many years after graduating from Harvard Medical School, she received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She now splits her time between writing and working as an oncology/palliative care psychiatrist. Tzippy’s debut middle-grade novel No Vacancy won the Jean Little First-Novel Award and was a Sydney Taylor Award honor and a National Jewish Book Award finalist. |
| Illustrated by |
YAARA ESHET was born in Israel and studied at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. She has illustrated more than thirty books for readers of all ages, including Journey Around the Sun: The Story of Halley’s Comet by James Gladstone, which received starred reviews from Kirkus and Quill and Quire. She has exhibited her art in galleries and museums, in solo and group exhibitions, in Israel and Canada. Yaara lives with her family and cats in Toronto, Ontario. |
| Written By |
|
TZIPORAH (TZIPPY) COHEN was born and raised in New York and spent eighteen years in Boston before landing in Canada, where she now lives with her family. Many years after graduating from Harvard Medical School, she received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She now splits her time between writing and working as an oncology/palliative care psychiatrist. Tzippy’s debut middle-grade novel No Vacancy won the Jean Little First-Novel Award and was a Sydney Taylor Award honor and a National Jewish Book Award finalist. |
| Illustrated by |
|
YAARA ESHET was born in Israel and studied at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. She has illustrated more than thirty books for readers of all ages, including Journey Around the Sun: The Story of Halley’s Comet by James Gladstone, which received starred reviews from Kirkus and Quill and Quire. She has exhibited her art in galleries and museums, in solo and group exhibitions, in Israel and Canada. Yaara lives with her family and cats in Toronto, Ontario. |
| Audience | ages 3 to 6 / grades P to 1 |
| Key Text Features | author’s note; explanation; illustrations; literary references; panels; sources; wordless |
| Common Core |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 |
Commended, Sydney Taylor Book Award — Honor, 2024
Commended, Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, 2024
Commended, Horn Book Fanfare, 2023
Commended, Cooperative Children's Book Center, CCBC Choices, 2024
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. STARRED REVIEW
” —Horn BookChildren familiar with the story of Passover ... will delight in decoding the pictures, looking for hidden clues, and retelling the tale.
” —School Library JournalPassover magic.
” —Kirkus ReviewsSweet and fun.
” —BooklistEven readers unfamiliar with the tale will find themselves drawn in by Eshet's lyrical ink and watercolor drawings.
” —Publishers WeeklyAfikomen should be a number one pick.
” —CM: Canadian Review of MaterialsA unique, comic-style wordless picture book.
” —Calgary HeraldThe illustrations are beautifully drawn.
” —Quebec Library Association