Book Description
for The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah by Leslie Kimmelman and Paul Meisel
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
A riotous retelling of this much-loved tale has the hardworking hen getting no help from Sheep, Horse, and Dog planting wheat, let alone harvesting it, schlepping it to and from the Passover mill, and making the ground flour into matzah for the Seder. But the animals are more than willing to show up at her door when it’s time to eat. The chutzpah! “Now I should invite them to my Seder?” she wonders. Then she remembers the words in the Passover Haggadah: “ Let all who are hungry come and eat . . . The Little Red Hen was a good egg—a mensch. A mensch forgives.” And a mensch also rests while Sheep, Dog, and Horse wash and dry all the dishes at meal’s end. Leslie Kimmelman's terrific storytelling combines tradition, information, and humor, while Paul Meisel’s blithe illustrations are full of delightful details. A note about Passover, a Yiddish glossary, and instructions for making matzah are included. (Ages 4–8)
CCBC Choices 2011. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2011. Used with permission.