Easter Eggs and Matzo Balls by Janie Emaus with illustrations by Bryan Langdo; New York: Sky Pony Press; © 2023; ISBN 9781519-769229; 30 pages; $19.99.
SAN DIEGO – With the intermarriage rate among Jews in California reportedly soaring around 60 percent, books written for blended families are a welcome addition to home libraries.
This one tells a story of Michael, who is Christian, and his step-sister, Anna, who is Jewish. Various items connected to the celebration of Passover have gone missing in their home: Passover placemats, a Seder plate puzzle, Afikomen bag, even matzo. With the discovery of each disappearance, Michael texts the Easter bunny, asking him to put that item in the Golden Easter Egg. But the placemats, puzzle, and Afikomen bag, are too large to fit in the bag, even though the Easter Bunny pushed, patted, squished, and squashed.
However, the matzo did fit, and the Bunny placed them into the Golden Egg, which he then hid in the piano bench – the place where grandpa usually hid the Afikomen. So, at least there was matzo.
The story does not tell what happened to the other items that had disappeared – and this is a flaw in the tale. Curious 3- to 6-year-olds, for whom this story was written, will want to know. So, too, does this reviewer!
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Donald H. Harrison is editor emeritus of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com