Welcoming Elijah : A Passover Tale with a Tail by Lesléa Newman - ADVISABLE

Welcoming Elijah : A Passover Tale with a Tail by Lesléa Newman illustrated by Susan Gal, PICTURE BOOK Charlesbridge, 2020, $7. 9781580898829

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Inside, a boy and his family prepare for the Passover Seder - welcoming family, waiting for the moon to rise, filling the prophet Elijah's cup and lighting candles. Outside a lonely kitten also waits for the moon to rise - he drinks from a puddle, cleans his paws and chews on a piece of grass. As the boy and his family participate in the Seder - the kitten waits outside, but when the boy gets to open the door for Elijah, who do you think is waiting on the porch?

Newman shifts the story back and forth between the boy and the kitten, mirroring each other. The text is smooth and lyrical, perfect for the solemnity of the occasion. Susan Gal's illustrations are warm and bright inside, with the outside portrayed in blues and blacks - with a beautiful white kitten. Includes an author's note with an explanation of Passover and a description of some of the traditional rituals.

Lisa Librarian