Review: One, Two, Three, Passover!

 

One, Two, Three, Passover!

by Naomi Shulman, illustrated by Nora Hilb

PJ Publishing, 2025

Category: Board Books

Reviewer: Ann Koffsky

 

Buy at Amazon.com

Like all successful board books aimed at the youngest readers, One, Two, Three, Passover is deceptively simple. It’s main character of a young girl takes the reader through the highlights of the Passover holiday, starting with preparation, then through the seder meal. At each stage, the refrain of “one Two three!” is repeated, and is used to count three matzahs, three haggaddahs, and three claps along to dayenu and more.

Throughout, our protagonist is accompanying by her adorable and fluffy dog, and through the illustrations we get to meet her grandparents and multi-racial friends, too.

The words of the book are very well structured, and target the age group well. Sentences are simple, and the concept of 1,2,3 is right on point, and exactly what readers this age are learning.

The illustrations are also very cleve and add lots of content that readers can dig into, to add to both their entertainment and knowledge. For example, even though the words don’t mention it, we can clearly see a Passover seder plate with all its foods, candles and grape juice on the table, and whimsically, frog finger puppets that are gifted from Grandpa.

The illustrations also add a fun mini-story: watch out for the ladybugs crawling steadily around the text!

The Jewish content is rich, and the book is an authentic celebration of the Passover holiday.
Characters are shown with kippot and head coverings.

 

 

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Reviewer Ann Diament Koffsky is the award-winning author and illustrator of more than 50 books for children, including PING PONG SHABBAT (Little Bee) and DIFFERENT KINDS OF MINDS with Temple Grandin (Philomel). She also creates free Jewish coloring pages, which ou can sign up for on her website, annkoffsky.com.