Friday, April 7, 2017

PPBF: The Family and Frog Haggadah by Rabbi Ron Isaacs & Karen Rostoker-Gruber Pictures by: Jackie Urbanovic

Title: The Family and Frog Haggadah 
Written By: Rabbi Ron Isaacs & Karen Rostoker-Gruber
Illustrated By: Jackie Urbanovic
Published By: Behrman House, 2017
Genre: Fiction 
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: Persistence, Determination. 
Opening:  
Searching for Chameitz. 
Before Passover starts, we clean our homes and get rid of all our bread, pasta and most types of grains -- also called chameitz. We do this to remember that when the Israelites fled Egypt, they left in such a hurry that the dough that they prepared for the journey did not have sufficient time to rise into bread. Instead, it became the flatbread we call matzah. 

Frog: Wait -- I found a piece of toadst! 
Brief SynopsisFrom the publisher: “Make your seder different than all the other seders! Start with a traditional Haggadah text, add vibrant artwork, your favorite songs and fun facts to it. Then add a hopping frog to its pages, and you'll get....The Family and Frog! Haggadah. Pass on your timeless heritage while creating new seer traditions that you and your family will look forward to repeating year after year. 
Why I Like This Book: I love that this book is read, paging from right to left and that it is an informative and inspiring educational guide to a seder celebration. Frog's illustrations are entertaining and will keep little ones engaged while they learn more about their holiday. Although this is a picture book for children, there is so much packed into this book by way historical and traditional information, as well as stories to share and fun activity suggestions, that there is definitely something for everyone! This book can be enjoyed year after year as your children learn and grow and focus on different aspects of the text and activities. 

In addition to my being a fan of Karen Rostoker-Gruber's picture books, I am also an admirer of Jackie Urbanovic's books as well. I found this to be a wonderful collaboration with Rabbi Ron Isaacs! Mazel Tov! 
Five Stars and a perfect picture book friday and Passover pick!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

And now, for an exciting GIVEAWAY! I have one copy of The Family and Frog Haggadah to give to one lucky winner! This book (and Frog) will become an important part of your family Passover celebrations. Just leave a comment for Karen that shares an aspect of your own family celebration that is special to you. I will choose a winner on Monday! 

And click on this link to go backstage with Karen on the making of this book:
http://literallylynnemarie.blogspot.com/2017/04/backstage-at-family-and-frog-haggadah.html

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

12 comments:

  1. My favorite thing about Passover is the Seders. As our children have gotten older my husband has made sure the Seders are entertaining enough to keep them interested but still keep them meaningful. This book will definitely be a great addition for years to come!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by My Word Playground @MarcsBride! So nice to see you here. I know you guys always go the extra mile to make holidays a fun family celebration.

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  2. Wonderful review, Lynne Marie...what an adorable book...I love it. It looks really funny...and information...that's a great combination! At Christmas, we always left a note for Santa...and in the morning, we'd 'find' a note FROM Santa...but one year, when the kids were already teenagers, I didn't write either note. In the morning, there was a note to and from Santa (in the handwriting of our 18-yr old son). When I spoke to him later, he said he loved the tradition and wanted to keep it going. Traditions are an important thread that binds a family together.

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    1. Such a great idea, @Vivian Kirkfield. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  3. Love this review of Karen's froggy Haggdah. Our family makes very kid-friendly Seders (we're actually featured in an article in this week's NYTimes along with this Haggadah). Making holidays fun for kids is so important when passing on traditions. As Karen says, Hoppy Holidays!
    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/business/passover-products.html

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    1. Happy Pesach or Hoppy Pesach, Chana! So glad to have you over at My Word Playground!

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  4. Comment here for ANOTHER fabulous prize! http://kidlitcollege.org/blog/566462/karen_rostoker-gruber_frog

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  5. Great cover and review and I get the feeling I have seen a picture of it before. Maybe on another blog. Must check this out. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by My World Playground, @Diane!Great to have you here!

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  6. And the winner of "Frog" is MarcsBride! Congratulations! May you enjoy this book for many Passovers to come!

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  7. Wonderful Haggada for my very little son. Everybody ought to have one for his or her kid. Thanks for this post... http://aazae.com/

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  8. I toadally agree @PatrickBeverley675! Thanks you so very much for stopping by My Word Playground! Please come back again.

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