A Persian Passover
This delightful picture book, set in Iran of the 1950s, follows siblings Ezra and Roza as they help to prepare for their family’s Passover celebration. It’s the first year that little Roza is old enough to help her brother deliver the flour to the synagogue courtyard bakers to fashion into delicious soft matzahs for their family’s meal. But Ezra likes to run fast. He’s already raced straight into their neighbor Mrs. Pirnazar as she is hanging out tablecloths. It proves his undoing on the way home when he trips and falls into a puddle, ruining the family’s bread. The children visit the marketplace in hopes of finding replacement matzahs but with no success—until Mrs. Pirnazar offers to share her own.
Award-winning Iranian-born Kheiriyeh’s cheerful block-color illustrations perfectly match Basseri’s tale of sibling love, family tradition and the diverse mosaic of Jewish culture and history. Notes and a glossary enhance the reading experience, as does a recipe for Hallaq, a Persian-style Passover charoset. Yum!
