A Different Kind of Passover

January 23, 2017
“I can’t imagine our seder without Grandpa at the table,” worries Jessica as her family travels to her grandparents’ house to celebrate Passover; her grandfather is just out of the hospital and confined to his bed. Leopold-Strauss (The Elijah Door) creates an intimate and highly believable portrait of the sorts of adjustments a family must make to beloved traditions as roles shift and its members age; tensions flare up now and again (one gets the sense that everyone in the family has an opinion on how best to care for Grandpa during his convalescence) but Jessica’s quick thinking leads to some small modifications that lets Grandpa take part in the evening’s rituals. Although Tugeau’s (the Buddy Files series) illustrations can be a bit too rough and sketchlike at times, his forceful brushstrokes and hatching bring dramatic intensity to the scenes. Ages 4–9.