Books to Read or Give on Passover

For promoters and lovers of Jewish books, now is the season of our deep content. Not all the following books are specifically about Passover and not all of them bear a 1999 publication date, but all of them are worth considering, whether to keep or to give as gifts when attending seders.

To tell the Tale — Haggadot for Families with Children

Elie M. Gindi’s labor of love, the sensibly abridged and richly illustrated “Family Passover Haggadah” (SPI Books, 1998) is both useful and beautiful. Dedicated to the memory of Moses Elie Gindi, it presents both story and service in Hebrew, English and transliteration, in a manner accessible to all ages, including hints for children’s participation, guiding questions, commentary, and music. Best of all, Gindi has chosen to illustrate his text with many reproduced images from illuminated and pictorial haggadot throughout the years, ancient and recent.

“The Energizing Haggadah for Children” (Pitspopany Press, Inc., 1998), a somewhat unusual title, this large format booklet contains frequent double spread cartoon scenes, each with its own “Where’s Waldo” type list of things to look for on the crowded and colorful page.

In “Uncle Eli’s (Special for Kids, Most Fun Ever, Under the Table) Passover Haggadah” (No Starch Press, 1999), author Eliezer Lorne Segal has put together, not exactly a true haggadah, but a collection of Seussian verses, featuring strange characters and animals. You may find this useful as comic relief with purpose.