The Passover Guest
Passover 2021 begins
at sundown on March 27
and ends Sunday evening, April 4th.
This year I purchased 2 signed copies of
Susan Kusel's new book
The Passover Guest.
Author: Susan Kusel
Illustrator: Sean Rubin
Publisher: Neal Porter Books, 2021
ISBN: 978-0823445622
Reading Level: 4 years and up
Main Characters: Muriel, the mysterious magician, her family and her Jewish community
Plot: This is a retelling of the classic I.L. Peretz story, best known
through Uri Shulevitz's 1973 adaptation The Magician.
During the Seder meal at Passover, a cup of wine is poured for the prophet Elijah should he show up. He is the honored guest. It is tradition that the front door of
the home is opened as a symbol of hope for the arrival of Elijah. When the door is
opened, participants say… “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. He will restore the hearts
of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their
fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.
The plot of the book centers around the mysterious magician that Muriel meets during the Great Depression. Muriel discovers a surprise feast for Passover Seder and invites her whole community to enjoy it with her and her family. Who is the magician?
"Kusel's adaptation preserves the wonder of a holiday
that always captivates children who yearn to lay eyes on Elijah or at least
witness a sign that he has indeed visited during their Passover Seder. . . .
Recognizable national landmarks ground us in the real world while the rich
Chagall-inspired illustrations convey a mysterious, magical quality perfectly
suited to this fantasy. From the springtime cherry blossoms depicted in the
beginning to the sumptuous Passover spread at the end, this is a wonderful
story about hope."
~~ AJL News and Reviews
Settings: Washington, D.C.
Genre/Theme/Style: Children's Jewish Fiction Books, Holiday Books, Diversity and culture.
I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
Why 5 Roars? This is a great book for children and adults. I enjoyed reading this book and will enjoy reading it again.
Critical Analysis: This is Susan's debut book and it is such a great start. She included a short note in the back of the book that explains
the Passover holiday for readers who are not familiar with it. She is a synagogue librarian and a children's book buyer for a bookstore. She was also the chair of the prestigious Sydney Taylor Book Award committee.
Illustrations: The illustrations are beautiful and perfect for the story.
"Rubin’s line-and-color art beautifully conveys a Washington, D.C., spring with cherry blossoms blooming, crowded streets that also evoke a long-ago, slightly off-kilter European town, and a gloriously bright holiday evening. Kindness is rewarded and a holiday is celebrated in this endearing, satisfying story."
~~ Kirkus Reviews
Connections: "The Passover Guest" is a PJ Library selection.
"The Passover Guest was featured in Children’s Books: Treats
for
Easter and Passover"
~~ Meghan Cox Gurdon,
The Wall Street Journal – Full article here. Activity sheets for children for
