''The Matzah That Papa Brought Home'' is a 1995

fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, ...

children's picture book by

Fran Manushkin Fran Manushkin (born November 2, 1942) is an American children's book author. She originally began as a children's book editor before transferring to an author. She attended the University of Illinois and Roosevelt University. Manushkin has auth ...

and illustrated by

Ned Bittinger Edmund Stuart Bittinger (born July 4, 1951), better known by Ned Bittinger, is an American portrait painter and illustrator whose work includes the official Congressional portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Lindy Boggs for the US Capitol, as well a ...

. It was originally published 1995, by Scholastic. It has been awarded Notable Children's Books by the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

and Notable Book for Younger Readers from the

Sydney Taylor Book Award The Sydney Taylor Book Award recognizes the best in Jewish children's literature. Medals are awarded annually for outstanding books that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The award was established in 1968 by the Association of Jewish L ...

. The story is written like a cumulative rhyme which tells the story of a family's celebration of the

Passover Seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew c ...

Reception

A starred review in ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' compliments the book's "cumulative text" and "easy and unforced" rhymes and describes Bittinger's character studies as "gems". The

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

described the text as "great fun" and the illustrations as "stellar". A review from

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

calls Bittinger's illustrations "double-page-spread oil paintings that glow as brightly as the candles on the seder table", while

The Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

called the atmosphere of the book "festive and ritualistic". In 1995 the

awarded the book with their Notable Young Readers award. The

gave it the Notable Children's Books award in 1996. It was also an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists. It sold more than 50,000 copies.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matzah That Papa Brought Home 1995 children's books American children's books American picture books Children's books about Jews and Judaism Holiday-themed children's books Scholastic Corporation books Passover fiction