Jewish children are usually taught songs for the Jewish Sabbath, holidays, and festivals. Shirley Cohen Steinberg’s song, One Morning (The Frog Song), is a notable preschool Passover song. Using this song as a focal point, author and illustrator Ann D Koffsky created a short Passover book, Frogs in the Bed: My Passover Seder Activity Book (Behrman House, 2014).
The first few pages vividly illustrate the words of this preschool song. Parents and teachers of young Jewish children can create additional interest by locating and counting the exuberant frogs that appear in a variety of poses.
The frog theme continues throughout the rest of the book. There are 15 pages of activities that highlight the traditional parts of a Passover Seder. A copy of The Frog Song and the melody are an added bonus. The first few pages reinforce basic concepts such as the meaning of the objects on the Seder plate, the drinking of 4 cups of wine/grape juice, and the tradition of reciting 4 questions.
Some of the pages appear to address a read aloud audience while early readers would be comfortable reading some pages. Magid and Miracles: A Passover Comic is a delightful 3-page comic that could be enjoyed by readers as well as nonreaders. Four pages instruct readers to make shapes out of matzah, to draw faces that reflect an emotion, to locate items that don’t belong in a picture, and to find the correct path on a simple maze.
The concluding pages provide directions and illustrations for two craft projects- Sparkling Elijah Cup and Jumping Froggie.
Parents who are looking for a short book that reinforces basic Passover ideas will be pleased with Frogs in the Bed. The book highlights key words and important aspects of the holiday while simultaneously providing a limited number of simple activities. Jewish children who are familiar with The Frog Song will also appreciate this illustrated version.
However due to the limited number of pages, anyone seeking a variety of activities at multiple levels or a book that will keep kids engaged throughout the Seder will find that this book will not meet their needs.
Book Giveaway
Individuals who leaves a comment on this blog or the Q & A with Ann by Sunday, February 16 will be eligible for a book giveaway. The randomly selected winner will be sent an autographed copy of Ann D. Koffsky’s latest book, Frogs in the Bed: My Passover Seder Activity Book.
If you read any of Ann’s children’s books, I’d love to hear from you.
If you are an author and/or illustrator and would like to be featured on this site, check out my interview and review policy.
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Sandra’s Bio
Sandra Bornstein is the author of MAY THIS BE THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE. It is available on Amazon.
Sandra’s memoir highlights her living and teaching adventure in Bangalore, India. She is a licensed Colorado teacher who has taught K-12 students in the United States and abroad as well as college level courses. Sandra is married and has four adult sons.
The memoir was a finalist in the Travel category for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the 2013 International Book Awards, the 2013 National Indie Book Excellence Awards, the 2013 USA Best Book Awards, and received an Honorable Mention award in the Multicultural Non-Fiction category for the 2013 Global ebook Awards.
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