Review by Booklist Review
In the spring of 1933, young Muriel's Washington, DC, family is unable to properly celebrate Passover because her father is unemployed and food is scarce. While walking, she spies a man in rags juggling on the Lincoln Memorial steps. Delighted, she gifts him with her last penny, and he urges her to hurry home to her seder. That evening, the stranger knocks at their door; they invite him in and are shocked to discover a magnificent feast to share with him and their hungry neighbors. Kusel's adaptation of I. L. Peretz's The Magician highlights the holiday custom of providing a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah (here, the stranger). Told simply, but with great feeling, this story also spotlights DC itself: the Washington and Lincoln Monuments, the White House, and the Tidal Basin with its cherry trees in peak bloom. Rubin's digitally enhanced graphite illustrations are rendered in the style of Chagall in terms of color (blues and greens, accented in yellow), lighting, windows, and even a few chickens. The use of crosshatching adds texture to the illustrations, and the bright pink cherry blossoms remind readers that better days will return. Among the many Passover titles, this one stands out, full of hope and heart and set in a historical context that will resonate today.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this picture book retelling of I.L. Peretz's "The Magician," it's the height of the Great Depression, and young Muriel and her family, who live in Washington, D.C., are facing a bleak Passover. They "didn't have enough to eat even on ordinary days," writes debut author Kusel, and there's certainly no wine for Prophet Elijah's cup. As Muriel walks home past the city's landmarks--rendered in Chagall-inspired, curvilinear art by Rubin--she encounters a clownlike man on the Lincoln Memorial steps and shares her plight; that evening, he reappears at her family's door, conjuring up a magnificent Passover meal. When their rabbi confirms it's not an illusion, the entire Jewish community celebrates together, and it dawns on Muriel that the fellow was Elijah himself. With its warm, forthright narrative and beautifully evoked setting, this book is an enchanting addition to the Passover shelf. Notes from the creators discuss the book's beginnings. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--4--Inspired by the I.L. Peretz story behind Uri Shulevitz's The Magician, this book chronicles a poor family living through the Great Depression on the night of Passover. April 10, 1933, was a Passover like no other; in the depths of the Great Depression, many families could not afford to hold a true seder. Because her family's table is empty, a young Jewish girl named Muriel spends the day admiring the blooming cherry blossoms along the National Mall in Washington, DC. A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger begins a series of events that lead to a full Passover dinner shared by the entire neighborhood. Only Muriel notices the absence of the stranger--and Elijah's empty wine glass--at the end of the evening. Filled with references to the holiday and accompanying traditions, this is a superb addition to modern celebrations. People of various races appear in the background even as the story focuses on a Jewish neighborhood. Abundant details--taking viewers from shtetl to the Capitol, for example--fill every page, enhancing the story's emotions through color and texture. The length of the text makes this story well suited for older children. A short notes section at the end of the book explains more about the holiday and gives readers a glimpse behind the author's and illustrator's choices. VERDICT Kusel's charming debut is a necessary volume for every holiday collection.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.
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Review by Horn Book Review
This reimagining of I. L. Peretz's 1904 Yiddish story "Der Kunzen-Macher" ("The Magician") follows Muriel, a young girl living in Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression. On the first night of Passover, a magician at the Lincoln Memorial encourages Muriel to return home for the Seder, and she does, though she knows her family can't afford a holiday meal. Muriel is amazed when the stranger knocks on her door and even more so when, a moment later, an extravagant feast appears on the family's table. When the meal earns the rabbi's approval, the whole neighborhood enjoys a festive evening. It isn't until Muriel notices that Elijah's wineglass is now empty that "she knew who the mysterious stranger was." In the book's stunning mixed-media art, each double-page spread conveys emotion through color and light. Pale pink cherry blossoms contrast with the dreary browns and grays of people standing in a food line; Muriel's empty home is shaded an appropriately gloomy blue-green; after the magician's visit, joyful yellow candlelight illuminates a table crowded with brisket and matzo ball soup. (An illustrator's note cites the influence of Marc Chagall; look for stained glass windows, too.) While there have been several adaptations of Peretz's tale (e.g., Shulevitz's The Magician), this version's message of hope during dark times feels especially relevant now, and the young protagonist and vividly depicted setting make the story accessible to picture-book audiences. A note on the significance and traditions of the Jewish holiday is included. Rachel L. Smith March/April 2021 p.62(c) Copyright 2021. 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
Miracles occur on Passover, both in the Haggadah and in a poor, Depression-era Jewish American neighborhood. For Muriel, a young girl living in 1933 Washington, D.C., there can be no Passover seder. Her family is too poor. Stopping at the Lincoln Memorial, she watches a juggler whose shabby appearance suddenly seems to burst into color. She gives him all she has--one penny--and he tells her to hurry home to a seder. She rushes home only to find her parents standing in front of an empty table. But the stranger is now at the door, and he magically transforms that bare table to one overflowing with holiday foods and ceremonial plates and cups. The rabbi is summoned and declares it a "true miracle" to be enjoyed by the whole neighborhood. At the conclusion of the festive meal, the cup left for the Prophet Elijah is empty. In her afterword, the author writes that a favorite childhood story was Uri Shulevitz's The Magician (1973), which set a Yiddish tale by Isaac Loeb Peretz in a shtetl. This reimagined American setting during the Great Depression and its message of community and faith will resonate with readers. Rubin's line-and-color art beautifully conveys a Washington, D.C., spring with cherry blossoms blooming, crowded streets that also evoke a long-ago, slightly off-kilter European town, and a gloriously bright holiday evening. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 34.8% of actual size.) Kindness is rewarded and a holiday is celebrated in this endearing, satisfying story. (illustrator's note) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
