The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah
by Leslie Kimmelman (Author) Paul Meisel (Illustrator)
A classic tale gets a Jewish twist, when Little Red Hen asks her friends for help making Passover matzah. Before she knows it, Little Red Hen tells herself, it will be time for Passover. So she decides to plant some grain. But when she asks her friends to help, they're too busy for her. "Sorry, bub," says the Horse. "Think again," barks the dog. Oy gevalt! "Friends, shmends," she says. "I'll just do it myself."
But when the wheat is grown and harvested, when the flour is milled and the matzah baked and the Seder table set-- all by Red on her own--who should come to her door but her not-so-helpful friends? Though she's tempted to turn them away, Little Red is a mensch-- and a mensch forgives. Like her Haggadah says: "Let all who are hungry come and eat." But who will do all these dishes? Filled with Yiddish phrases and a healthy dose of humor, this Passover tale of hard work, friendship, and forgiveness is not to be missed. Bright cartoon illustrations add humor and detail to the story.
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Publisher's Weekly
Such a clever idea! Make the Little Red Hen into a balabusta (that's Yiddish for a singularly sensational homemaker/matriarch/keeper of the spiritual flame), set the story during the Jewish holiday that turns every home into a sacred space, and watch a familiar tale become exponentially funnier and, yes, more meaningful. By the time Kimmelman (Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt!), a terrifically conversational storyteller, and Meisel (Barnyard Slam), a slyly astute cartoonist (Sheep looks truly sheepish), are done, readers of all faiths will know a lot more than some emotionally evocative Yiddish words. They'll also understand why Passover whips Jewish mothers into a frenzy ("The Little Red Hen had cleaned her house, top to bottom. There wasn't a crumb of bread to be found anywhere"), and why, even after all her schlepping and kvetching and unassisted matzo making, LRH still cannot turn away her "no-goodnik" friends when they have the chutzpah to show up at her seder. Oh, and one more thing: those who clean up after the seder while their hostess puts her feet up can find redemption for even the most egregious shortcomings.
Copyright 2010 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
Meisel's accompanying cartoons . . . add exactly the right touch of humor to this holiday version of a classic folktale, which is filled with enough Yiddishisms to make every Bubbe act out the reading in old-world style.
Review quotes
"very imaginative and witty for young readers."—Jerusalem Post
