Larry Sloan was my mother’s editor at Price Stern Sloan, the groovy publishing company that put out her three books including “How to Tell if Your Husband is Cheating on You.” He died October 14 at 89, after a career that included being a Hollywood press agent and running that rare bird — a Los Angeles-based publishing company. Price Stern Sloan was sold to Penguin in 1993, according to this L.A. Times obit, but its heyday was the mid-60s to mid-70s, when “Mad Libs” took off alongside my mom’s books and “How to Be a Jewish Mother,” which I used to re-enact with a reel to reel tape recorder. Here’s a snippet from his obit:

Working from offices on La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood, Sloan directed the editing of manuscripts that often emphasized humor. As of 1973, the company had 150 titles — mainly original softcovers that sold for a dollar — and expected to gross about $1.6 million that year.

It is not an easy story. It is bloody and full of death. G-d punishes the Egyptians brutally and allows the Jews to escape. There are swarms of bugs, dead beasts, a bloody river, and slain children. It is a story that many find troubling–a vengeful god who favors one people over another and who leaves horrible destruction in the wake of liberation. Others find the triumph of the underdog inspiring. We share it around the dinner table, with old and young alike, skipping none of the gory details in order to get to the glorious ending. Part of the tradition is to stop and question, to discuss, to weave our own experiences and observations into the telling.

Jonathan Safron Foer has said that the trick in telling the Passover story is to find a balance between justice and mercy. This resonates for me because I believe that the Passover story shows us the best and worst of what humans can be, no matter what religion. Moreover, the Haggadah gives us a moment each year when we pause to consider social justice, equality, mercy, and what humans have done (and continue to do) to each other in the name of religion.  We tell our story and remember that we are the stories we tell, and that we can choose how we tell the story, how we live it, and how adopt it as our own legacy.

When Culture Sprout was old enough to listen, I struggled with how to approach the potentially scary moments with her. Fortunately, I had the help of a wonderful children’s bookseller at a local Judaica shop and of the PJ Library, a program that provides free books to Jewish children.

Here is a sample of our favorites:

Only Nine Chairs: A Tall Tale for Passover (by Deborah U. Miller, ills. by Karen Ostrove, Kar-Ben Publishing, 1982 ): What to do when you have 18 guests coming for Passover and only nine chairs? This story in rhyme is a funny trek through the imagination of a child awaiting the arrival of holiday guests: ”We have plenty of silverware, Glasses and dishes. Enough food for seconds, the house smells delicious.  For all of those guests, we have seating for nine, will some have to stand while others recline?”  Miller’s rhymes are silly enough for a three-year old and inventive enough to entertain a seven-year old. Ostrove’s illustrations brim with humor and glee.   We truly never tire of this book.

Let My People Go! (by Tilda Balsley, ills. by Ilene Richard, Kar-Ben Publishing, 2008) is another perennial favorite. Moses is commanded by G-d to go to the Pharoah and demand the Jews’ freedom. He does and with each of Pharoahs refusals, the Egyptians are visited by another plague.  The text is color-coded so that children at a seder can present it as a play, complete with a narrator, a chorus, Moses, Pharaoh, and Egyptians.   Repetition compels here. Each time Moses says “Our G-d says “Let my people go!”, the narrator follows with “And Pharaoh shouted, “No, No, No.” Children love to fill in Pharoah’s response.  Richard’s illustrations show how awful it is to be attached by flies or have a river run with blood, but they are done with enough humor to prevent nightmares.  This book is a perfect introduction to the story of Passover, and the harsh blow of the plagues. It ends with the Jews leaving Egypt, providing a great starting point for family conversations.

The Mouse in the Matzah Factory (by Francine Medoff, ills. by Nicole in den Bosch, Kar-Ben Publishing,2003) beautifully explains the rabbinical laws that govern the making of kosher-for-Passover matzah. Through the eyes of a mouse, we learn that wheat destined for matzah is watched from the reaping through the milling through delivery to the bakery. The making of matzah requires strict adherence to rules about how long flour can be in contact with water and how long the bread may be baked. These are all the questions to which I didn’t have an answer. The little mouse who follows the wheat to find out fills us in. Reminiscent of Stuart Little, he is a charming guide.

Need more ideas?

Try:

Too Many Cooks: A Passover Parable by Edie Stoltz Zolkower and Shauna Mooney Kawasaki (Kar-Ben, 2000), a sweet tale about what happens when too many people meddle in Bubbie’s charoset.

P is for Passover by Tanya Lee Stone, ills. by Margeaux Lucas (Price Stern Sloan, 2003), a great primer for the basic elements of the holiday and its rituals.

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie. By Alison Jackson; Puffin Books, Ages 3-6.   

Alison Jackson’s silly story I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie is the perfect book to read or sing aloud on Thanksgiving day! Her lyrical, rhythmic verse can be sung to the tune of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” In Jackson’s rendition, one very hungry old lady eats every Thanksgiving staple you can think of, and then some! After inhaling pie, cider, squash, salad, turkey and more, will this old lady ever be full? Find out in this delightful, hilarious story!

The Turkey Ball by David Steinberg. Price Stern Sloan Publishing. Ages 2-6.

“Gobble-gobble.” Learn how to speak turkey in Steinberg’s funny story about a group of turkeys off to dance the night away at the Turkey Ball! Follow these party animals as they travel in the turkey bus, strut down the cranberry red carpet, and dance “till their feathers meet the morning light!” Steinberg’s goofy text accompanied by Liz Conrad’s bold, fun illustrations will have you enjoying this book all Thanksgiving night long!

This Is The Feast by Diane Z. Shore. Harper Collins. Ages 4-8.

For those of you looking for a Thanksgiving book rich in history, we highly recommend This Is The Feast. The rhyming prose, sometimes solemn and sometimes rollicking, carries the reader through the Pilgrims’ journey, from the struggle of a barren winter to the joyful relief of the harvest. The illustrations are as colorful and vivid as the prose: “These are the maples, in forests ablaze, where wild turkeys run and golden deer graze.” This book is also packed with historical details, gracefully woven into the writing: did you know that the pilgrims ate lobster at Thanksgiving? Great for a classroom read, or for any child curious about the origins of Thanksgiving.

Turkey Riddles by Katy Hall. Puffin Books. Ages 5-8.

Does your early reader have a fowl sense of humor? Then they’re sure to gobble up Turkey Riddles! Packed with groan-worthy puns, your beginning reader will love reading these goofy jokes to you. Why did the turkey stuffing go on strike? Because it wanted a higher celery, of course! Why did Tom Turkey climb into the vegetable bowl? Well, you’re just going to have to come in and find out!

Toulouse on the Loose by Kimberly Thompson. Little Pigeon Books.

Check out Hooray For Books’  previous blog about Toulouse  here.  A word of caution however, this loveable turkey may make you think twice about eating a certain type of bird this holiday season.

These are just a few of our favorites, but be sure to swing by the store to explore our full collection!

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel,

You and your young one will enjoy this book set to the words of the familiar holiday song. The letters on the dreidel are incorporated into the colorful illustrations. The end of the book includes a pop-up surprise: three children playing with a dreidel that spins as you open and close the book.

Hanukkah: a Counting Book, by Emily Sper; Scholastic, Cartwheel Books 2001; $6.99; Ages newborn – 6

Count the lights of the menorah with this colorful and informative counting book. Each page shows one more candle through the stenciled pages with Hebrew and Yiddish translations of the numbers. Candles are displayed in order from right to left. Opposite pages include images of jelly doughnuts, elephants, Maccabees and other Hanukkah fair. At the end of the book is the story of Hanukkah. Great for the littlest celebrators with lots to look at and sturdy pages.  Great for those who are a little older and more aware of the tradition.

Eight Winter Nights: A Family Hanukkah Book, by Laura Krauss Melmed; Chronicle Books 2010; $16.99; ages 3-6

As Hanukkah approaches, a family prepares by pulling out and polishing the menorah. As each Hanukkah night goes by, they light the candles. One night they play dreidel; another they sing; another they are waiting for relatives to visit; all told in ryhming verse:

It’s so hard to wait
’til the cousins arrive
to help light the candles
on night number five

Pastel illustrations add to the text and the end of the book includes the story of Hanukkah and an explanation of some Hanukkah symbols. An awesome book to add to your Hanukkah collection.

Periwinkle Smith is a strong and spirited girl distinguished by her signature bow, blue hair and paint-splattered tutu. Ms. Smith is equal parts childhood curiosity and rock n’ roll DIY-namics. John and Wendy have created a diminutively cute character with a large presence that continues to demonstrate infectious enthusiasm and ingenuity. Always armed with a solution up her stripey sleeve, Ms. Smith proves that no adventure or dream is too big. I’m convinced that her adventures have only just begun. So, where to next, Periwinkle?

Going for Gold: The 2008 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team is available at Amazon for $4.99. To Order click here
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