Afikomen
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Honor, Sydney Taylor Book Award
In this wordless time-travel adventure, three children at a Passover seder visit ancient Egypt to help baby Moses find his way safely to Pharaoh’s daughter.
When a family settles at the table for Passover, their dog nabs the afikomen bag (containing matzah used for the seder) and dives under the tablecloth. The children follow him and find themselves transported to ancient Egypt. There, they see baby Moses’ mother and sister Miriam placing him in a reed basket. The baby’s journey down the Nile is hazardous — he encounters several obstacles along the way, including a wily crocodile. Thanks to the three children, he reaches his destination unharmed, with a piece of afikomen tucked into his basket. The children return to the seder table and, exhausted, fall asleep. But what are their parents to make of the grains of sand in the afikomen bag?
Includes an author’s note about the meaning of the Passover holiday and about different afikomen traditions.
Key Text Features
author’s note
explanation
illustrations
literary references
panels
sources
wordless
Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This wordless paneled story by Cohen opens at the moment when the leader of a big seder breaks the middle matzo—the afikomen—and puts half of it in a bag, intending to hide it for the seder's young participants to find. But when the pet dog takes the bag and disappears under the tablecloth, a trio of kids follow and find themselves transported to biblical times. They watch as two figures—whom readers may peg as Moses's mother and his sister, Miriam—launch the basket containing the future leader into the Nile, depicted in deep blue swirls and striations. At the behest of a grateful Miriam, the children next provide a riverbank escort for the basket, rescuing it from hazards and ensuring that Moses is found by Pharaoh's daughter. Even readers unfamiliar with the tale will find themselves drawn in by Eshet's lyrical ink and watercolor drawings, and the soulful-eyed characters, portrayed with various skin tones. An author's note concludes. Ages 3–6.
