Matzah Day!

December 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 3-No leavening agent needed-this picture book rises to the occasion of matching the success and heart of its predecessor, Challah Day! Offsay and Kirschner team up again, this time to tell the story of a Jewish family making matzah, an unleavened bread traditionally baked for Passover. Rhyming, family-centered text as well as whimsical and cartoony illustrations focus on the family's antics while making and eating the matzah. Back matter includes recipes and an informative explanation of the food's importance to Jewish traditions. VERDICT This delightful tale is a solid addition to library collections.-Maria Bohan

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2024
How does your cracker crumble? "Matzah day! It's matzah day! Pesach's here! Hooray! Hooray!" Bouncy, rhyming text and ebullient digital illustrations bring this cheery Passover story to life. A jolly, rosy-cheeked, light-skinned family celebrates the holiday with matzah at its heart. Even the dog and cat get into the act as the jaunty verse describes how the crackly treat is prepared. Offsay also suggests various delectable ways to enjoy it throughout the holiday; it's a must at every seder, but it can also be eaten with lox and sour cream, chocolate, or toffee. Matzah pizza, anyone? (Just don't eat it in bed; it's too crumbly.) Illustrations of the children perching on hilariously oversize ingredients set a whimsical tone. Though marvelous matzah can be enjoyed long past the eight full days of Passover, by book's end, many family members are ready to hold off until next year. So who's ready for matzah day? The tale concludes with a simple recipe: By tradition, matzah must be prepared and baked in only 18 minutes from start to finish! And don't miss the recipes for matzah pizza and matzah candy. Note also the endpapers, which feature the family members (and cat) peering out through half-eaten matzah. Don't pass over this winning Pesach story. (information on Passover)(Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 1, 2025
Preschool-Kindergarten In Offsay's new picture book, a large extended family gathers to celebrate Passover--and matzah! Adult readers may stumble over some of the forced rhymes, but children will be charmed by the variety of ways to eat matzah presented in this book. There is an obligatory nod to the seder, but favorite family recipes are at the book's heart. These recipes range from matzah itself to chocolate-toffee matzah and matzah pizza to more traditional matzeh brei. Kirschner's vibrant, slightly zany illustrations keep the text as fresh as the varied matzah toppings the story presents. Sometimes the family members appear at a typical size, while on other pages they shrink to the size of their ingredients. The illustration of beds full of sandy matzah crumbs is delightful. In a final surprise at the end, one family continues enjoying matzah long past Passover. A tasty treat for those who love, or at least tolerate, matzah. Back matter includes several of the recipes encountered in the story.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.