The Matzah That Papa Brought Home

by Fran Manushkin, Ned Bittinger (Illustrator)

The age-old tradition of Passover comes to life in this book that presents a rhythmic tale conveying the warmth and richness of the holiday and the family traditions that surround it. Full-color illustrations.

Genres: Jewish, Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Fiction, Cultural, Family

Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

Fran Manushkin is the author of more than fifty books for children, including the Katie Woo series; Big Girl Panties, illustrated by Valeria Petrone; Big Sisters Are the Best, illustrated by Kirsten Richards; The Tushy Book, illustrated by Tracy Dockray; and Baby, Come Out!, illustrated by Ronald Himler and translated into eight languages. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using a cumulative form similar to that found in the classic nursery rhyme The House That Jack Built, Fran Manushkin creates a rollicking Passover poem in this engaging picture-book, one which offers a joyful celebration of family love and tradition at the holidays. "This is me standing tall and proud / to ask the Four Questions nice and loud / during the Passover Seder we shared / to eat the feast that Mama made / with the matzah that Papa brought home," it reads at one point, adding more and more on to the rhyme, as the evening passes and the narrator's family observes all the rituals of their Seder together.

This lighthearted book is the second Passover title from Fran Manushkin that I have read this year, following upon her Miriam's Cup , which focuses on the female experience in the biblical Passover and Exodus stories. In this contemporary title we see a family celebrating together, and are treated to a fun rhyming tale. The beautiful oil paintings by artist Ned Bittinger, done in the "alla prima" style - this method requires the artist to finish his work in one sitting, before the paint dries - are full of light and motion, beautifully capturing the life of the family in the story. I particularly liked the antics of the family dog, who is always underfoot as the night progresses. Recommended to young readers looking for lighthearted, contemporary books set at Passover.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a simple little book, and yet, it taught me so much that I've often wondered about.
I loved this book!

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book especially for teaching gentile children about the modern passover rituals in a playful way, and for young Jewish children to celebrate with a rhyme that is easy to memorize. Structured like "The House That Jack Built," this cumulative text takes readers through the passover supper traditions and the pages of definitions include the Four Questions as well as explanations of terms and origins. The illustrations are in a realistic style, though to me the setting seems almost pre-holocaust. The texture of the oil brush strokes and canvas is delicious!

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of rich tradition and inspirational artwork, this book was a joy to read.

[Alexis Y. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows a young girls account of her Jewish families holiday tradition of Passover. Each page introduces one new tradition they practice on that day. From eating matzah, to asking the four questions, to opening the door for the prophet Elijah, this book gives readers an inside look to how the holiday is observed. The part of the book I enjoyed the most was the glossary portion where words and phrases were defined and explained. This made the story more complete. Without that portion of the book the reader would not really understand why they celebrate the holiday the way they do. I think this books does a good job of staying away from the “single story” we are use to, like the holocaust or anti-Semitic treatment. This book would be great to use during the Passover and Easter season when many students are observing these holidays. This book can ignite discussion and get students thinking about the different holidays celebrated within the American culture.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading level: primary

This picture book gives a description of the Passover Seder meal as a family celebrates it. At the end, there is a glossary to further explain the terms that are used in the story.

This story captures the interest of small children because the writing is done in cumulative verse where the previous lines are repeated with new lines being added on. The repetition and continuing addition helps students to remember previous details while learning new ones. The cumulative verse is to the poem "The House that Jack Built."

[Jill Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multicultural #5
This book is about a family celebrating the Passover that happened in Egypt. The story starts off with the Matzah(unleavened bread) and ends with the Cup of Elijah. Each page adds another ritual. By the end, all the rituals of the Passover are included on the last page. This book would be great to teach students fluency, and it would also offer a lot of new information to children. You would have to be careful to use it in the classroom though due to the religious references through the whole book.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a family’s Passover Seder meal. Each page builds upon the next, describing each aspect of the Seder. It describes the actual feast and rituals celebrated by the typical Jewish family. This book could be used for sequencing the different parts of the Passover Seder.

[Olivia Lagore]

A rhyming story about how Passover is celebrated. with glowing illustrations and an explanation page in the back, this would be a good book to read to students around the same time as the Passover is being celebrated, to explain how and why some families celebrate it.

[Haim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The oil painted illustrations are beautiful in this cumulative story of the progression of a seder.

[Valerie]

Set up like The House that Jack built, this is a Passover story of a families Seder meal. It includes a section at the end about the story of Passover.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday: Passover

Tells Passover meal traditions and has the story of the first Passover in the back.

Beautiful Norman Rockwell-like illustrations