If you are looking for a book that will teach you about the celebration of Passover, Pippa’s Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield is not it. This is more for the young child who celebrates the holiday already and therefore familiar with the practices, symbolism and meanings behind things such as the Seder plate. There are some pieces of information about the celebration (the plate needs to be found before sundown and at the end what goes on the plate) but without explanations to why they are important.
Kids will enjoy the rhyming and repeating text as they root for Pippa. Our little mouse goes on an adventure to find her Passover plate, so her holiday celebration is not ruined. The bouncy text helps calm the hurried atmosphere and the fact that a very important piece of the celebration is missing. Plus, the rhyming moves the story along at a fun pace. At the end of the story we learn that the through Pippa’s journey is about family, friends and bravery as Pippa had to face a few fears big along the way (a cat and a snake to name a few). Therefore, in that respect, it is a story for everyone who has or had a problem they needed to solve or need to solve and who can solve it or did solve it, with a bit of determination, work and bravery.
Jill Weber’s illustrations continue the theme of a sweet story. There are bright, friendly colors and just the right amount of needed detail.