THE ELIJAH DOOR: A Passover Tale (Paperback)

New York: Holiday House, 2012. 2nd Printing. Soft cover. New/No Jacket Issued. Alexi Natchev. CONDITION: NEW 2012 Holiday House paperback, second printing. Wonderful colored woodcuts by Alexi Natchev. CONTENT: Reviewer: "This wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated book should appeal to both children and adults. The tale of a dispute between two families, the Galinskys and the Lippas, threatens to destroy a long hoped-for marriage between Rachel Galinsky and David Lippa. The quarrel also threatens a long-held tradition of the families joining together to celebrate the Passover Seder. Though they seem to be star-crossed lovers, Rachel and David are no victims. With help from their rabbi, they develop a plan to bring the families together again for Seder. The joyous festive meal is captured with a few strokes of pen and brush. We learn a bit about the Passover tradition with the asking of the Four Questions, the hiding of the matzoh, and the opening of the door for Elijah. The cadence and tone of the language, (the book is a delight to read aloud as I did with my grandchildren), recreate the sound and syntax of the immigrant's voice. The old world charm of the wood-cut drawings captures the splendor of the Seder table when a family spreads out the very best of its possessions to share with family, friends and anyone else who might need a place to be to celebrate the joyous holiday and tradition of Passover." - Janet Rozen.