10 Important Passover Books for Kids
This post may contain affiliate links.
Passover or Pesach is a Jewish holiday that remembers Jewish history and celebrates spring, freedom, and new beginnings. Plus, it’s a time to share traditional food with family and friends. Read these Passover books to learn more about this important holiday.
Passover looks back at the history of slavery in Egypt. When Pharoah threatened to kill all the Israelite baby boys, a young Jewish mother saved her son who was adopted by Pharoah’s daughter and named Moses. When he grew up, Moses finally convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free in the story of slavery to freedom.
Passover foods are unique and meaningful to represent the story of the bitterness of slavery, the escape from Egypt, and other special traditions.
These picture books and middle grade books about Passover make wonderful read alouds and individual reading choices. I highly recommend them all, whether you are Jewish or not.
Passover Books for Kids
Afikoman, Where’d You Go? A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure written by Rebecca Gardyn Levington, illustrated by Noa Kelner
picture book, ages 4 – 8
It’s Passover seder. The kids in the family start searching for that silly, sneaky afikoman matzah. Where is he hiding? The search takes them around the house in different rooms, outside, up a tree, and finally, they find the escapist afikoman! Kids will love examining the detailed illustrations and will giggle at the perfectly silly ending.
Afikotective by Amalia Hoffman
picture book, ages 4 – 8
This story is adorable because of the mixed media artwork and the charming bear character’s adventure. After the Passover seder dinner, the kids get to search for the bigger piece of matzah that Grandma hides. Our detective hero gets a special invention to help — a toy elephant called an Afiko-Sniffer. Together, they search the house, accidentally finding other seder dinner foods like apples, eggs, and horseradish. Determined not to give up, the main character quickly fixes the Afiko-Sniffer to work right and finds the afikomen at last!
Pippa’s Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Jill Weber
picture book, ages 4 – 8
Pippa is ready for Passover, but she’s missing her special Seder plate decorated with six important symbolic items! She looks everywhere for it, bravely asking predator neighbors like the snake, owl, and cat. Will she find the plate in time? And who will she share Passover with? Rhyming text with repetitive phrases and fun-to-read onomatopoeia make this an absolute delight to read aloud. Happy Passover!
A Persian Passover by Etan Basseri, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh
picture book, ages 4 – 8
In this story filled with culture, family, and community, Roza and Ezra take ingredients to the synagogue to be made into matzah. But after their matza is made, Ezra trips and drops the bread into a puddle. Trying to save the day, the kids visit the market, but no one has any matzah to sell. Their neighbor offers the children her matzah, and they invite her to seder. They share food and celebrate the beginning of Passover. Joyful illustrations throughout give readers a sense of place, characters, and culture. Back matter gives a recipe plus information on Passover, Jews in Persia, and the Hebrew and Persian words.
The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel, illustrated by Sean Rubin
picture book, ages 4 – 8
During the Great Depression in Washington, D. C., a mysterious stranger brings Muriel’s struggling family a feast for Passover seder dinner. Muriel runs to tell the rabbi, and he and their neighbors arrive to share in the unexpected feast. It’s not until Muriel sees Elijah’s empty wine glass that she realizes just who the stranger was. Atmospheric, charming illustrations.
Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail written by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal
picture book, ages 4 – 8
Inside the house, the family celebrates Passover Seder while outside is a hungry, lonely stray kitten. When it’s time to open the door and invite Elijah inside, the boy is surprised to discover that small kitten. That’s when the kitten gets a new home and a name–Elijah. So sweet!
An Invitation to Passover written by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky and Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen, illustrated by Mariia Kolker
picture book, ages 4 – 8
Usually, Hannah’s relatives come to her house for the Passover seder, but this year, they can’t come. So, she and her parents decide to invite friends. When she’s writing invitations and welcoming the guests to their table, it’s a chance for Hannah and her parents to reflect on the meaning of Passover and the foods they eat with each other and their company.
Why On This Night? A Passover Haggadah for Family Celebration written by Rahel Musleh, illustrated by Louise August
picture book, ages 4 – 8
Haggadah is the prayer book for the Passover seder dinner. The leader reads part of it; kids can read part of it, and it’s the foundation of the meal. Rachel Musleh, the author, writes that this Haggadah can “serve as the main text at your seder” or inspiration for your seder meal. This beautiful book of 112 pages includes Hebrew text, English translation, and transliteration and is accessible to children. It’s full
l of illustrations, prayers, stories, songs, recipes, and more.
Beni’s Tiny Tales Around the Year in Jewish Holidays written and illustrated by Jane Breskin Zalben
picture / activity book, ages 4 – 8
Each of the Jewish holidays is explained in a full page with an illustration, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, and Passover. Then, see what Beni and his family are up to for that holiday. You’ll read a story or two, get directions for a craft, find recipes to make the special holiday foods, and might learn a song. For example, the large Passover section includes the story “Passover Ping-Pong,” craft ideas, recipes like Chocolate Matzoh and Matzoh Balls, information about The Ten Plagues and The Four Questions, and the song “Chad Gadya.” This book is a treasure for families with its wealth of information and activity ideas and adorable illustrations.
On All Other Nights edited by Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milliner, and written by Christ Baron, Ruth Behar, Adam Gidwitz, Veera Hiranandani, Amy Ignatow, Sarah Kapit, Joshua S. Levy, Mari Lowe, Naomi Milliner, Soifya Pasternack, R.M. Romero, A.J. Sass. Laura Shovan, and Laurel Snyder
middle grade book, ages 9 – 12
In this excellent collection of short stories, you’ll read Passover stories from a variety of voices and in different styles and genres, like the realistic story of Yossi, who hides the chametz and forgets where he hid it, or a historical story about a boy who tells his little sister the Romanian story of the Bitter Princess while running errands and rescuing a boy from bullies, or the first person story of a girl who loves her role singing the Four Questions and is disappointed she’s handing that job to her brothers and cousins. The writing is exceptionally engaging — it’s also really fun to experience the different writing styles and perspectives of all these incredible Jewish writers.
Interspersed with the stories are the different parts of the Passover seder, such as “Step four: Yachatz.” Each step is explained and followed by thought-provoking discussion questions for readers.
