The Animaged Haggadah

This 50-page book, published in London and Jerusalem, and reading from right to left in the Hebrew format, is one of the best books for children in our extensive collection of juvenile Passover titles. Why? (An appropriate question for Passover, or Pessah.) It opens with an order of the Seder meal, illustrated with colorful and somehow very realistic clay figures showing each part of the service. From beginning to end, each page also includes large vibrant illustrations--photographs of clay figurines, actually--that bring the Passover story alive for children and adults alike. The book opens with Passover table set with clay candles, wine, Haggadah, matzoh and a clay Seder plate containing all the symbols to be used in the retelling of the Jewish people's escape from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago. (These are of course a roasted lamb bone, hard boiled egg, maror or bitter vegetable, chopped fruit, and greens to dip in the salt water that symbolizes tears.) Blessings for all the major portions of the service are included in Hebrew and English. The Four Questions--undoubtedly the highlight of the Passover Seder for all children who must ask them--are likewise included in Hebrew and English, beginning with "How different this night is from every other night of the year. Every other night we eat bread or matzah. Why do we eat only matzah tonight?"A clay figure of a bow-tied young boy wearing a kipah appears at the Seder table to encourage children to proceed with their questions, which for shy ones can be very daunting indeed.The best part of the Haggadah, though, comes in the retelling of the Passover story, complete with clay illustrations of ancient Jewish people forced to build the Egyptian Pharaoh's pyramids and the ten plagues that God sent to Egypt when Pharaoh refused to grant Moses plea. Children love the illustrations of traditional Passover songs like Had Gadya, as well as those of sages of old, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon discussing the Passover story until the wee hours of the night. Kids even like the clay figures of idols that the Jewish people were instructed not to worship. The Haggadah service closes with the ancient prayer of Jews whose ancestors were forced to leave their beloved Jerusalem by waves of conquerors through the ages, "Next year in Jerusalem," and a two-page color spread of the spiritual capital established by King David in Biblical times.But the story and the playfulness don't end there. The final illustration shows a child crawling out from under the Seder table, triumphantly holding the Afikomen (dessert matzah) in his hands. --Alyssa A. Lappen