Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Fully aware that "my grandchildren are all so smart," Grandpa Murray knows he has to work extra hard to stash the afikomen. Digitally colored pen and ink pictures by Auerbach show Grandpa wandering from room to room as he considers and discards a variety of hiding places: between the couch cushions, behind the flowerpot, under the air conditioner. When it's time to look for the piece of matzoh, the grandchildren turn the house upside down but still come up short--and so does Grandpa, who just can't remember where it is. "You see," Katz writes, "Grandpas forget things sometimes." In a gentle twist, a gesture from grandson David inadvertently reveals the afikomen's location. With its wry, observational humor, it's a friendly variation on a familiar Passover arc. Characters are portrayed with arrayed skin tones. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--3--The Cohen family is celebrating Passover at the grandparents' house, and it's time for Grandpa to hide the piece of matzoh called the afikomen. He looks all over the house for the perfect place, so the children won't easily find it. Then, someone calls out that the soup is ready, and Grandpa gets distracted. When the special meal is over and it's finally time for the children to find the afikomen, they tear through every room in the house. They check the garage, they check the doghouse, they even check the neighbor's yard: no afikomen. The kids return to Grandpa and ask where the afikomen is, but he can't remember where he put it after he got distracted. Readers will be delighted when they finally discover the afikomen's hiding place. Auerbach's playful, childlike illustrations complement Katz's compelling story well, keeping readers engaged. The illustrations are detailed enough to include authentic Hebrew words on the prayer book and the family's pets watching Grandpa attempt to hide the piece of matzoh. An afterword explains the tradition of hiding the afikomen. VERDICT A first purchase.--Jennifer Sontag
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
How can matzoh go missing? At the Cohen family's seder on the first night of Passover, Grandpa Murray follows tradition and breaks the middle piece of matzoh into two. He wraps the larger piece--the afikomen--in a napkin and goes to hide it. Grandpa considers, then rejects, several places. When he hears his favorite word--soup--called out, he abandons his efforts, returning to the table. After everyone finishes reading the Haggadah and eats, the four grandkids hunt for the afikomen but have no luck. Grandpa Murray sheepishly admits he forgot the hiding place; Grandma Norma says it must be found so that they can finish the seder. Three grandkids continue searching, but one, David, hugs Grandpa consolingly. But what's this? A cracking sound! It's not Grandpa's ribs; it's the sound of matzoh, coming from Grandpa's pocket! Afterward, per tradition, everyone eats some afikomen, and the seder ends. This warm, jocular Passover story is enlivened by crisp, spare cartoon illustrations, drawn with pen and ink; color was added digitally. Humorously, matzoh can be found throughout the book: The wordmatzoh on the title page is made from broken matzoh pieces, while the endpapers feature matzoh plus bowls of matzoh-ball soup. Even the onomatopoeic "KERR-ACK" issuing from Grandpa's pocket resembles the titular food. Some family members are pale-skinned; some have light tan skin. A cheery Passover story, destined to become a holiday favorite. (hiding the afikomen)(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
