We are happy to present this extensive list of Passover Resources available from our very own Library! Please feel free to browse on your own or ask our Judaica Librarian Andi Davidson for guidance.
Adler, David. The Story of Passover. Illus. by Jill Weber. New York: Holiday House, 2014.
This is a straight-forward re-telling of how Moses was saved as an infant and then grew up to lead the Jewish people out of slavery. The illustrations are boldly colored acrylic paintings. (For kindergarten – grade 2).
Balsley, Tilda. Let My People Go! Illus. by Ilene Richard. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2011.
A rhyming story that describes the Ten Plagues and the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The story is in script format and can be performed as a play. (For preschool – grade 2). PJ Library offering.
Chwast, Seymour. Had Gadya: A Passover Song. Roaring Brook, 2005.
This story beautifully illustrates the words of the song by showing Passover preparations in a small village. All of the verses of the song, plus music, are included at the end. (For preschool – grade 4).
Cohen, Barbara. The Carp in the Bathtub. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
1987. A classic tale about two children who save the life of a fish destined to be made into Pesah gefilte fish. (For kindergarten – grade 4). PJ Library Offering.
Cohen, Deborah Bodin. Nachshon, Who is Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story. Illus. by Jago. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2009.
This is the story of Nachson ben Aminadav. He was a slave under Pharaoh’s rule and was very brave except for his fear of the water. Moses told him that one has to conquer fears to be truly free. When Moses led the Israelites to freedom, Nachson faced his fear and crossed the Red Sea. (For grades 1 – 4). PJ Library Offering.
Edwards, Michelle. Max Makes a Cake. Illus. by Charles Santoso. New York: Random House, 2014.
Without the help of adults, Max bakes a birthday cake for his mom that is kosher for Passover (For preschool – grade 2). PJ Library Offering.
Fireside, Bryna J. Private Joel and the Sewell Mountain Seder. Minneapolis, MN: Kar-Ben, 2008.
A chapter book inspired by a true Civil War story. At the time of Pesah, a Jewish soldier and his company, along with three former slaves, improvised a seder. (For grades 3 – 6). PJ Library offering.
Glazer, Linda. Stone Soup with Matzoh Balls: A Passover Tale in Chelm. Illus. Maryam Tabatabaei. New York: Albert Whitman & Company, 2014.
A version of Stone Soup, where a man gets the townspeople to contribute to and prepare unknowingly a seder feast for all to share. (For grades 1 – 4). PJ Library Offering.
Goetz, Bracha. On Pesach. What do You See? New York: Judaica Press, 2007.
A board book that teaches toddlers about the symbols and customs of Pesah. It features photographs of babies and toddlers. (For preschool).
Greene, Jacqueline Dembar. Rebecca and the Movies. American Girl Collection. Illus. by Robert Hunt. Vignettes by Susan McAliley. Middleton, WI: American Girl Pub., 2009.
Rebecca Rubin worries that her tenth birthday will be ruined because it falls during Pesah, but her mother’s cousin Max, an actor, takes her with him to a movie studio, where she makes friends with an actress and a set carpenter. (For grades 4 – 6).
Greengard, Alison. Illus. by Crol Racklin-Siegal. Oakland, CA: EKS.
Written in Hebrew and English, the text is excerpted from the Book of Exodus. (For grades 1 – 6).
• The Brave Women Who Saved Moses. 2009.
Tells the story of the women who insured Moses’ survival: Puach and Shifrah the mid-wives, Jocheved his mother, Miriam, and Pharaoh’s daughter.
Hanft, Josh. The Miracles of Passover. Maplewood, NJ: Blue Apple, 2007.
Lift-the-flaps and Seymour Chwast’s luminous artwork make this re-telling of Moses and the exodus from Egypt entertaining. (For grades 2 – 5).
Howland, Naomi. The Matzah Man. New York: Clarion, 2002.
A well-illustrated and designed version of the Gingerbread Boy. (For preschool and kindergarten).
Jules, Jacqueline. Miriam in the Desert. Illus. by Natascia Ugliano. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2010.
Told through the viewpoint of Bezalel, supposedly Miriam’s grandson, who was the artist chosen to build the Holy Ark. He describes how Miriam comforted the escaped slaves in the desert. (For grades 1 – 3).
Kimmelman, Leslie. The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah. Illus. by Paul Meisel. New York: Holiday House, 2010.
A Yiddish-inflected retelling of “The Little Red Hen” features a balabusta (good homemaker) who kvetches that her no-goodnick friends will not help her make matzah from wheat. When they show up for seder, the hen scolds them, “What chutzpah!” Ultimately, they repent and the hen forgives them, because she is a mensch. There are endnotes of the history of Passover: a matzah recipe and a glossary. (For preschool – grade 2) PJ Library offering.
Koralek, Jenny. The Moses Basket. IIlus. By Pauline Baynes. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003.
Miriam and her mother are the central characters in this well-illustrated picture book. Miriam’s future role as a prophet is foreshadowed. (For kindergarten – grade 2).
Korngold, Jamie S. Seder in the Desert. Phot. by Jeff Finkelstein. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2014.
A photo journal of a hike and a seder in the Moab Desert in Utah. (For grades 1 – 4).
Latimer, Miriam. Dayenu! A Favorite Passover Song. NY: Cartwheel Books, 2012.
A board book that combines the melody of the Pesah song with a recounting of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt to Israel. (For preschool and kindergarten). PJ Library offering.
Levine, Anna. Jodie’s Passover Adventure. Ill. by Ksenia Topaz. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2012.
Amateur archaeologist Jodie invites her cousin Zach on an adventure exploring Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem when he comes for a visit over Pesah. (For grades 1 – 4).
Manushkin, Fran. Miriam’s Cup: A Passover Story. Illus. by Bob Dacey. New York: Scholastic Press, 1998.
This story is told as a modern-day family gathers to celebrate Passover. Miriam, the daughter, hears about her namesake and receives a gift of a goblet in honor of the prophet to place next to all the other ritual objects on the table. The back cover contains music and lyrics for “Miriam’s Song,” written by Debbie Friedman. (For grades 3 – 5).
Marshall. Linda Ellowitz. The Passover Lamb. Illus. by Tatjana Mai-Wyss. New York: Random House, 2013.
Miriam’s family is about to leave their farm to attend a seder when a sheep gives birth to triplets. Since the mother sheep lacks interest in one of her offspring, it’s up to Miriam to think of a way to rescue both the baby lamb and her family’s Passover. (For kindergarten – grade 3). PJ Library Offering.
Marzollo, Jean. Miriam and Her Brother Moses. New York: Little Brown, 2003.
Miriam’s resourcefulness in saving her baby brother foreshadows her role in later years. This retelling is faithful to the Bible and illustrated with watercolors. At the bottom of the pages stream tiny fish that ask questions and make comments that will encourage listeners to talk about the issues. (For preschool – grade 2).
Medoff, Francine. The Mouse in the Matzah Factory. Rev. Ed. Rockville, MD:
A new version of this classic story with color illustrations. Shows in story form how sh’mura matzah (the strictly “watched matzah”) is made. (For preschool – grade 2).
Newman, Leslâea. A Sweet Passover. Illus. by David Slonim. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2012.
Miriam learns the meaning of Passover when her grandfather makes a special matzah dish. Includes recipe for matzah brei (similar to French toast, but with unleavened bread), and a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish words used in the text. (For kindergarten – grade 3). PJ Library Offering.
O’Connell, Rebecca. Penina Levine is a Hard-Boiled Egg. New Milford, CT:
Roaring Book Press, 2007.
When they are preparing for the Passover seder, Penina Levine’s grandmother calls her a “hard-boiled egg,” because she gets tougher when the heat is turned on. The humorous illustrations by Majella Lue Sue complement the story. (For grades 3 – 6).
Olswanger, Anna. Shlemiel Crooks. Illus. Paula Goodman Koz. Junebug/New South Books, 2005.
An offbeat and funny story told in highly inflected Yinglish (Yiddish combined with English) about two cooks who try to steal Reb Elias Olswanger’s supply of Pesah wine. It is set in an immigrant neighborhood of St. Louis in about 1918 and is based on information about her great grandfather that the author discovered as she was researching her family tree. (For grades 3 – 6).
Oren, Rony and Tropper, Tsipporah. The Animated Haggadah: new expanded edition with full Hebrew text and notes for parents and teachers. Israel: Scopus Films, 1994.
Portnoy, Mindy Avra. Tale of Two Seders. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2010.
After her parent’s divorce, a little girl attends a seder at each of their homes and she comments on the charoset. At the conclusion, her mother compares families to charoset – some sweeter than others, some stickier, but each tasty in its own way. Four charoset recipes follow the story, which is colorfully illustrated. (For grades 1 – 4).
Rappaport, Doreen. The Secret Seder. Hyperion, 2005.
A little boy and his father, in hiding from the Nazis in France during the Holocaust, climb to the top of a mountain to share a Pesah seder with other Jews fleeing from the Nazis. With almost no food and fearing for their lives, their celebration is a poignant testament to their faith and to the sustaining power of Judaism. Emily McCully’s softly colored illustrations with smudgy outlines evoke the secrecy of the story. (For grades 4 – 6).
Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg. Abuelita’s Secret Matzahs. Cincinnati, OH: Emmis Books, 2005.
A story for primary grades about crypto Jews in New Mexico. It is set during Passover and involves a little boy learning that his family, now Catholic, is descended from Spanish Jews. With appealing illustrations and a sincere text, this will serve as an unusual supplement to more traditional Passover stories. (For grades 2 – 4).
Snyder, Laurel. The Longest Night: A Passover Story. Illus. by Catia Chien. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2013.
Rhyming text. A child in Egypt tells what the Jews are experiencing in the days leading up to their flight from Egyptian slavery. Winner of 2014 Sydney Taylor Award for Younger Readers. (For grades 1 – 3). PJ Library Offering.
Sollish, Ari. A Touch of Passover: A Touch and Feel Book. Illus. by Boruch Becker. New York: Merkos Schwartz & Wade Books, L’Inyonei Chinuch, 2004.
A simple board book that imparts Passover concepts by inviting young children to touch and feel ritual objects. (For preschool).
Sper, Emily. The Passover Seder: Touch Turn, Open and Learn! New York: Scholastic/Raintree, 2003.
An interactive introduction to the seder with colorful graphics. Important vocabulary and concepts are written in Hebrew, transliteration, and English. (For preschool – grade 2).
Weber, Elka. The Yankee at the Seder. Illus. by Adam Gustavson. Berkeley: Tricycle Press, 2009.
Soon after the Civil War, Corporal Myer Samuel Levy, a Union soldier, stops at a Jewish home in Virginia and spends seder with the family. (For grades 3-6). PJ Library offering.
Werner, Osher. Pharaoh and the Fabulous Frog Invasion. New York: The Judaica Press, 2007.
A fun “frog’s-eye” view of how the stubborn king Pharaoh and the wicked Egyptians got just what they deserved for being so mean to the Jews. (For preschool – grade 2).
Ziefert, Harriet. Passover: Celebrating Now Remembering Then. Maplewood, NJ: Blue Apple Books, 2010.
An excellent book that describes the order of the seder with explanations of the symbols and customs. Each explanation is accompanied by a fold out page with folk-inspired illustrations by Karla Gudeon. (For preschool – grade 4).
Ansh, Tamar. Let My Children Cook!: A Passover Cookbook for Kids. New York: Judaica Press, 2014.
The book is divided into a dozen categories including: very important recipes for Pesah, fun finger foods, munch and brunch, soups, fish, meats, chicken, veggies, desserts, and fun arts & crafts. (For grades 3 – 10).
Heiligman, Deborah. Celebrate Passover with Matzah, Maror, and Memories. Holidays around the World Series. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2007.
Uganda, Yemen, Morocco, Hungary, Israel, the United States, and Canada are some of the places photographed celebrating Pesah in this book. Rabbi Shir Stern’s informative note provides parents and teachers with an historical and cultural background of the celebration. (For kindergarten – grade 4).
Wolfson, Ron and Grishaver, Joel . Passover: The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration. 2nd ed. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing. 2003.
It’s Passover, Grover! Vol. 7. Israel: SISU/Shalom Sesame, 2010.
DVD, 26 min. Part of the new Shalom Sesame series. It’s almost time to celebrate Passover, and there is no horseradish to be found. Grover, Anneliese and Avigail put their heads together to track it down, but things get tricky when there is an Oofnik involved! Featuring Anneliese van der Pol and a guest appearance by Jake Gyllenhaal. (For grades k-3.)
Lamb Chop’s Chanukah and Passover Surprise. New York: 8 Candles Production and Sony Wonder, 2002.. DVD.
Moses. The Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible. New York: Turner Home Video, 2006.
DVD, VHS, 30 min. An animated presentation of Moses and his confrontation with the pharaoh. The format uses an archaeological dig and a time tunnel to get to the time of Moses. (For grades 1 – 4).
One People, Many Stories: Passover Special. Jewish Community Library of LA, 2001.
Audio CD. This single audio CD contains six stories based on Pesah themes. Hosted by Jerry Stiller. (For grades 5 and above).
Passover at Bubbe’s. Pan-Imago, Inc., 2003.
DVD. A delightful video featuring muppet-like characters who help Bubbe prepare for her annual seder. They are surprised by a talking Haggadah and are magically whisked back to Egypt during the time of the pharaohs. There, they personally experience the trials of captivity and ultimately, a triumphant escape to freedom. The movie contains original songs as well as traditional favorites. Emphasis is on human initiative so the teacher may wish to discuss the role of G-d in the Exodus story and why Moses is mentioned only once in the Haggadah. (For preschool – grade 2).
Prince of Egypt. Dreamworks, 1999.
DVD, 99 min. This animated large scale production is the story of Moses although it does not follow biblical narrative.
The Seder on Planet Matzah Ball. Sisu, 2004.
DVD, 36 minutes. Puppets, music and animation plus a zany story make this a fun video. (For preschool – grade 2).
ShirLaLa Pesach! Sing and Dance with Shira Kline. Outrageously Hip Jewish Kiddie Rock Holiday Series. Josh Nelson, 2006.
Audio CD. Pesah songs performed by Shira Klein. (For kindergarten – grade 3).
Blitz, Shmuel. The Artscroll Children’s Haggadah. Artscroll Youth Series.
NY: Mesorah, 2000.
Published in conjunction with the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland. In Hebrew and English. (For grades 3 – 8).
Elwell, Rabbi Sue Levi. The Open Door: A Passover Haggadah. Illus. by Ruth Weisberg. New York:
This annotated Haggadah includes the new ceremony of Miriam’s cup. (For adults).
Klein, Eliahu. A Mystical Haggadah: Passover Meditations, Teachings and Tales. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2008.
This Haggadah takes readers through the Pesah ritual with Kabbalistic meditations and affirmations in a friendly, accessible format. It includes many Hassidic teaching and stories. It is a spiritually-based adaptation of the primary Haggadah text. (For adults).
Musleah, Rahel. Why on This Night? A Passover Haggadah for Family Celebration. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
A Haggadah with recipes, stories, etc. It is handsomely illustrated and intended to make children an integral part of the seder through song, dance, drama, explanation and action. (For grades 1 – 4).
Rouss, Sylvia A. Sammy Spider’s First Haggadah. Minneapolis, MN: Kar-Ben, 2007.
Sammy Spider guides young children through the seder with wonderful rhyming songs and vibrant illustrations. (For preschool – grade 2).
Zion, Noam and Dishon, David. A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah. Jerusalem: The Shalom Hartzman Institute. 1997.