Pippa’s Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield

Pippa’s Passover Plate

Vivian Kirkfield, Author

Jill Weber, Illustrator

Holiday House, Feb 5, 2019

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Animals, Passover meal, Seder Plate, Jewish Holiday,

Opening: Hurry, scurry, Pippa Mouse, / washing, scrubbing cleaning house. / Passover starts at six tonight, / Seder meal by candlelight.

Publisher Synopsis:

Sundown is near, and it’s almost time for Seder to begin. Where is Pippa’s special Passover Plate?

Pippa the Mouse has been working hard all day– cleaning her house, setting the table, cooking the meal. Everything looks great– but her special Seder plate is missing!

Searching through her tiny house turns up nothing, so Pippa ventures out to ask her neighbors if they can help. Bravely, she asks the other animals for help, but the snake, owl, and cat haven’t seen her plate, either. But it’s almost time for the Seder to begin, so she keeps looking– and when she finds it, she invites all the other animals home to join her celebration.

A charming story with a happy ending, Pippa’s Passover Plate pairs simple, rhyming text with bright paintings by Jill Weber, illustrator of The Story of Passover and The Story of Esther. In bravely facing her animal neighbors, this adorable little mouse finds not only her missing Seder plate– but new friends along the way.

Why I like this book:

Vivian Kirkfield’s charming picture book will help children learn about joyful Passover traditions. The story is fun and lively and flows effortlessly in rhyme.  It is a perfect book to read aloud, as the words will roll off your tongue. Jewish or not, readers will relate to the how busy Pippa is in preparing for a holiday meal and the memories made with friends and family.

I especially enjoyed learning about the Seder plate and the six symbolic items that are carefully arranged for Passover: beitzah,(an egg), zeroah (a roasted bone), maror (horseradish root), and charoset (chopped apple, walnut, and red wine), chazeret (Romaine lettuce), and karpas (a sprig of parsley or onion or boiled potato).

Jill Weber’s brightly painted illustrations accentuate the feeling of spring. Most important, they show a very expressive and brave Pippa as she journeys around the woodland searching for her Seder plate. And they showcase Kirkfield’s beautiful text. Make sure you check out the endpapers.

Resources:  Encourage children to participate in preparing the food items for the family Seder Plate. Or you can give them a plain white plate and paint pens to draw the food items on their very-own Seder Plate. It is an easy craft and keepsake for kids and family.

Vivian Kirkfield is a children’s picture book author and a former kindergarten teacher and early childhood educator. A passionate advocate for children and reading, she is the creator of the popular blog Picture Books Help Kids Soar and the author of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking, and her newly released, Sweet Dreams, Sarah.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Reviewed from a book won in a giveaway on Diane Tulloch’s website, Writer and Dreamer at Work.