Purr-im Time!

PreS-Gr 1–Three little kittens celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim by baking hamantaschen cookies, delivering gift baskets to friends and neighbors, wearing costumes and marching in a parade, acting out the story of Queen Esther, shaking noisemakers, and enjoying carnival games. While most picture books about Purim for young readers tend to gloss over the Purim story, Waldman provides an age-appropriate context: “Haman wants to hurt the Jews; his heart is full of spite. No one else can save her people—Esther leads the fight! She warns the king of Haman’s plot; the kitties shout, ‘Hooray!’ All it takes is one strong voice—Queen Esther saves the day.” The clever rhyming text scans well, and colorful cartoon digital illustrations that completely anthropomorphize the kittens are fun, festive, and expressive. Hebrew terms like Chag Purim, megillah, gragger, and tzedakah are interspersed throughout, making this most suitable for readers already familiar with the holiday customs.