The Passover Lamb

February 18, 2013
In this delightful and colorful Passover story based on an event that took place on author Marshall’s farm, a girl named Miriam notices that one of her family’s sheep, Snowball, is acting strangely as she tends to the flock shortly before the holiday begins. Concerned for Snowball’s health as well as for her own chances of attending her grandparents’ seder if the sheep is sick, Miriam runs to her parents for help. When Miriam’s family realizes that Snowball is about to give birth, and indeed soon does, Miriam is torn. Although she desperately wants to sing the mah nishtana (four questions) at her grandparents’ seder, she can’t imagine deserting the needy newborn. Using her knowledge of the Passover story, Miriam devises a creative plan to keep everyone, including the baby sheep, happy. Charming watercolor illustrations and friendly humor enliven this entertaining holiday tale. Ages 6–9. Illustrator’s agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary.

December 1, 2012
The birth of a newborn lamb adds extra challenge and meaning to a traditional Passover Seder for one little girl. Miriam is eager to attend the Seder at her grandparents' home; she's ready to recite, for the first time, the four important questions that introduce the recounting of the Exodus story. But as the family packs the car, Snowball gives birth to three lambs, one of which cannot nurse and must be bottle-fed. Rather than stay home and miss her chance to engage in the ceremony, Miriam remembers the story of how the baby Moses was rescued and cared for from a basket and similarly creates a traveling bed for her newborn lamb. At her grandparents' home, the lamb is welcomed and affectionately named Moses. Farm images created in graphite and watercolors extend the storyline, depicting a contemporary rural setting; the highlight is a satisfying, domestic scene of a Jewish family gathered for the Seder. While the basic plot complication unfolds and is resolved easily, undercurrent themes of responsibility, kindness and attentiveness emerge from the springtime holiday backdrop. A satisfying addition to the Passover shelf. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-5)

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January 1, 2013

K-Gr 3-Doing farm chores on the morning of Passover, Miriam discovers that one of the sheep has had three babies. Snowball rejects the runt, and the child takes responsibility for bottle-feeding it every few hours. How can she take care of a lamb, though, and still attend the Seder at Grandma's? By putting him in a basket, naming him Moses, and taking him along, of course. This unusual Passover story is based on Marshall's own family history, as explained in an author's note. Basic information about Passover is included within the story and in the note. The emphasis is on the lamb's plight rather than on the holiday, and readers will be charmed by the gentle depiction of farm life, the baby animal, and the child's resourcefulness. Those who bring Passover knowledge to their reading will be amused that the siblings' names are Miriam and Aaron (the names of Moses's siblings in the Bible). Cheerful watercolors add to the story's sweetness.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2012
Grades K-3 As Miriam completes her farm chores, she practices chanting the Four Questions in preparation for the Passover seder to be held later that night at her grandparents' house. She notices that one of the family's sheep, Snowball, has given birth to three lambs but is refusing to feed one of them. Miriam immediately steps in, feeding the lamb, cuddling it, naming it Moses, and eventually taking it along to the seder, nestled in a basket and dressed in a diaper. Marshall's story is based on a real event that took place on her own farm; Mai-Wyss' colorful illustrations depict a bucolic setting filled with genial animals and a rustic barn. Although there are few specifics about the holiday or its traditions, Marshall's depiction of a close family gathering to celebrate, despite their many other obligations, is intrinsically appealing, and the details of sheep farming will intrigue young listeners. While Passover books for this age group are plentiful, libraries will want to make room for this poignant offering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Miriam is looking forward to singing the Four Questions at her grandparents' Passover seder. But when a newborn lamb on the family's farm is abandoned by its mother, Miriam worries she'll have to miss the seder to care for the unwanted baby. Her solution is unsurprising but charming; soft illustrations reinforce Miriam's affection for the (particularly cute) baby sheep.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)