Who brought the hamantaschen?

PreS--In this spare, colorful board book, smiling costumed children each bring a different fruit: "Leo brought yellow bananas to the Purim party. Nora brought orange papayas to the Purim party." The question of the title is answered at the very end by two gray-haired older adults who hold a Purim noisemaker called a grogger and plate of hamantaschen, the cookies eaten during the holiday celebration. Bright, stylized illustrations feature characters with a variety of skin and hair colors and styles, with the grandmotherly figure standing in front of a stylized wheelchair. Clearly intended for the toddler crowd, this title adeptly depicts different fruits and colors, but does not offer any specific information about the Purim holiday or its traditions. VERDICT Cheerful and appealing to the youngest audience, though not as educational as Tracy Newman's Purim Is Coming! or Joni Kibort Sussman's Happy Purim, Grover!--Yelena Voysey

It's time for the Purim party--wear your costume, and bring something delicious to eat! Each page of this board book presents a child dressed in a single-hued costume and carrying a food item to match. The getups vary, with some children dressing as participants from the Purim tale and some in different imaginative or amusing creations. Lily is Queen Esther, dressed in red and displaying a bowl of apples. Nora is an orange butterfly, offering papayas. Ava is a frog with green grapes. And then there's Leo, holding several yellow bananas and wearing a hamantaschen costume. So who does bring the hamantaschen? After all the items have been presented, the title question is asked and answered. Here comes a pair of loving grandparents--one wears a Purim party hat and waves a grager, or noisemaker--both displaying a large plate of the perfectly triangular jelly-filled treats. Everyone gathers around the festive balloon-decorated table to enjoy all the colorful foods. Making use of flat, simple shapes, the book brims with visual appeal as each vivid, clearly named color is introduced to young readers, but only readers familiar with Purim--or who have a knowledgeable grown-up nearby to explain--will be able to understand the Purim connections. Characters vary in terms of skin tone and hair color. A charming introduction to colors, set against the backdrop of a happy, child-centered holiday.(Board book. 2-4) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.