Books that add to a child’s view of Pesach

THE TEN Plagues! The splitting of the Red Sea! We’re familiar with the Exodus story. But what of the lesserknown characters? At PJ Library we send out a free Jewish book each month to children aged eight and below. Here are three of our books that generate lively conversations.

Nachshon Who Was Afraid To Swim, by Deborah Bodin Cohen tells the story of the first Israelite, Nachshon ben Aminadav, who stepped into the Red Sea after Moses had split it in two. It is said that courage is not a lack of fear but the ability to move forward in spite of fear. This book illustrates the symbolic and subtle passage to freedom of a boy imprisoned by his fear of swimming.

Miriam at the River, by Jane Yolen is a 2020 Sydney Taylor Awards honor book and a beautifully told, exquisitely illustrated version of the midrash. While her brother goes on to lead the people out of Egypt it is thanks to the quick thinking and courage of his sister Miriam that Moses survived Pharoah’s initial decrees to kill all baby boys. This is a different type of courage to Nachshon’s, which was about his personal fears, as in this story Miriam is motivated by the safety of her brother, her acts are pure and selfless.

The Magician’s Visit is a new take on the story by beloved Yiddish author IL Peretz , adapted by Barbara Diamond Goldin about a mysterious visitor who comes to town and magically helps a poor couple find all the things they need for a perfect seder. They consult the rabbi who says ““What a magician produces is a deception, an illusion... if you can crumble the matzah and pour the wine… then you will know this is all a gift from heaven… brought by the prophet Elijah himself.”

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