Review by Booklist Review
The Passover story of the Jews fleeing Pharaoh blends nicely here with the story of a little boy hurrying to make a cake. Max Osher is at the age when he can do many things all by himself, such as dressing (though his yarmulke ends up a little off center) and even reciting the four questions for Passover in Hebrew and English for the seder. As Max feeds the baby, Trudy, he explains why they eat matzo on this night, because the Jewish people, once freed by Pharaoh, had to hurry, hurry, hurry away, with their bread on their backs. This resulted in sun-baked, cracker-like bread. Max and his father have to hurry, too, during Trudy's nap, to make a special Passover birthday cake for Max and Trudy's mother. But Trudy won't nap, leaving Max alone in the kitchen facing a deadline. His construction of a hurry, hurry, hurry matzo cake (recipe included, natch) from matzos, cream cheese, and jam is a triumph of self-sufficiency. Warmly tinted, wood-textured illustrations fit this gentle, informative book.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
It's Mom's birthday, so she has to have a cake. But Dad has baby duty, and it's looking less and less likely that he and son Max will be able to make the kosher-for-Passover cake mix they bought at the supermarket. Unable to wait any longer, Max invents a chametz-free cake that's "different from all other cakes" and well within the grasp of any young, aspiring chef: a stack of matzo that uses jam-sweetened cream cheese for frosting and filling. In his first book for children, illustrator/concept artist Santoso astutely renders Max's journey from itchy exasperation to triumphant ingenuity, while Edwards (Room for the Baby) makes some nice parallels between his impatience and the "hurry, hurry, hurry" that characterized the ancient Israelites' flight from Egypt. The ending is ripe for replication. Ages 3-7. Illustrator's agent: Shannon Associates. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Max is quite proud of himself. He can dress himself and almost tie his shoes, and he knows the Four Questions for Passover in both Hebrew and English. He's more than happy to show off this skill to baby sister, Trudy, who will, according to tradition, ask the questions at the Seder meal herself one day. In the meantime, though, he wants to "hurry, hurry, hurry" like the Israelites out of Egypt in order to bake a surprise birthday-Passover cake for Mama. He and Daddy will make it with a special Passover mix while Trudy naps. But the baby's fussiness keeps getting in the way of best-laid plans. Frustrated, Max decides to take matters into his own hands. Cream cheese and red jam mixed together make a delicious frosting. But what about the cake? Getting creative, the youngster fashions a "layer" cake (matzoh-frosting-matzoh) for the perfect "hurry, hurry, hurry" Passover cake. Santoso's realistic digital renderings of Max's face capture the expressions of one determined little boy. A recipe and a short description of the Passover story are included. A light introduction to a Jewish holiday.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Max and Daddy plan to make a surprise cake for Mama's Passover birthday, but time's a-wastin' as Daddy tries to settle Max's fussy baby sister. Worried that there will be no cake, Max has a great idea, and a "hurry, hurry, hurry Passover cake" is the result. Bold, amiable illustrations underscore Max's relatable anticipation and frustration, and his final triumphant accomplishment. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Edwards offers a story about Passover, but it might be a bad idea to read it during the holiday--particularly toward the end. It's Mama's birthday and the first night of Passover, and Max is intent on baking her a cake. Max's dad is busy with the new baby, and he doesn't have time to help. Max comes up with a novel solution: He stacks pieces of matzo into a huge pile and covers them with jam and cream cheese. He even finds a tiny candle and places it on top for his mother's birthday. A piece of matzo--as Jewish readers will know--is a flat, tasteless cracker, which Jews eat on Passover as bread is forbidden during the holiday. The holiday lasts for more than a week, so as inventive as Max's solution is, observant Jews may think: There is nothing less appetizing than a giant stack of matzo. Readers will admire Max's creativity, no matter how they feel about unleavened bread. They may be less happy with the stilted dialogue. Max tells his sister, "A long time ago, the Jews were slaves in Egypt. When Pharaoh freed them, they had to hurry, hurry, hurry away with their bread on their backs." Max's zeal is charming, but readers may find themselves thinking, more than once: No child has ever said that sentence. Well-intentioned but, alas, as dry as matzo. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
