The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah

Gr 1–5—A haggadah is a guidebook for holding a seder, the festive meal associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover. Like any traditional haggadah, this volume reads left to right (Hebrew style). The text is in English, with prayers and songs in both Hebrew and transliteration. This "family haggadah" has activities, fun facts, and a humorous cartoon frog to engage young seder participants while providing lucidly written, thorough text for more advanced readers. The "Think About" prompts are well designed for encouraging intergenerational discussion. There are several nice touches, such as suggestions for vegetarian seder plate options (for example, substituting a beet for the bone), the inclusion of Miriam's cup along with Elijah's cup, and the replacement of the traditional, somewhat judgmental "wicked" and "simple" sons with gender-neutral "defiant" and "uncomplicated" children. The art features well-composed photographs of contemporary seder participants, reproductions of Passover art through the ages, and clear photos of ceremonial objects (seder plate, wine cup). It should be noted that no Jews of color are portrayed. A painting of African American enslaved people accompanies the lyrics of "Let My People Go," a spiritual that describes the biblical events of Passover, but without context it is somewhat out of place.