Book picks similar to
The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel


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Golem


David Wisniewski - 1996
    The golem's task was to vanquish those who persecuted the Jews of Prague, and he performed it almost too well. Retold from traditional sources and accompanied by masterly cutpaper illustrations, Golem is a dramatic tale of supernatural forces invoked to save an oppressed people. It offers a thought-provoking look at the consequences of unleashing power beyond human control.Winner of the 1997 Caldecott Medal.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga


Traci Sorell - 2018
    Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.

Mrs. Katz and Tush


Patricia Polacco - 1992
    Katz, very well, until he asks her to adopt an abandoned kitten. Mrs. Katz agrees on one condition: that Larnel help her take care of the kitten she names Tush. When Larnel starts spending more and more time with Mrs. Katz to help with Tush, Mrs. Katz tells him stories about coming to America from Poland and about the good times she spent with her late husband. As Larnel grows to love Mrs. Katz, he also learns about the suffering and triumph black history shares with the Jewish heritage.Patricia Pollaco has illustrated, as well as authored, countless picture books. She lives in Union City, Michigan.

A New Year's Reunion


Yu Li-Qiong - 2011
    When Papa arrives, Maomao hardly recognizes him at first. But before long, the family is making sticky rice balls, hearing the firecrackers, and watching the dragon dance in the street. Maomao loves doing ordinary things with Papa - getting a haircut, fixing things around the house, and sleeping tucked between her parents. But all too soon it is time for Papa to go away again.

What Is Given from the Heart


Patricia C. McKissack - 2019
    "Misery loves company," Mama says to James Otis. It's been a rough couple of months for them, but Mama says as long as they have their health and strength, they're blessed. One Sunday before Valentine's Day, Reverend Dennis makes an announcement during the service-- the Temples have lost everything in a fire, and the church is collecting anything that might be useful to them. James thinks hard about what he can add to the Temple's "love box," but what does he have worth giving?

Amira's Picture Day


Reem Faruqi - 2021
    There's just one hiccup: it's also school picture day. How can Amira be in two places at once? Just the thought of Eid makes Amira warm and tingly inside. From wearing new clothes to handing out goody bags at the mosque, Amira can't wait for the festivities to begin. But when a flier on the fridge catches her eye, Amira's stomach goes cold. Not only is it Eid, it's also school picture day. If she's not in her class picture, how will her classmates remember her? Won't her teacher wonder where she is?Though the day's celebrations at the mosque are everything Amira was dreaming of, her absence at picture day weighs on her. A last-minute idea on the car ride home might just provide the solution to everything in this delightful story from acclaimed author Reem Faruqi, illustrated with vibrant color by Fahmida Azim.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul


Carole Boston Weatherford - 2020
    The daughter of a pastor and a gospel singer, her musical talent was clear from her earliest days in her father’s Detroit church where her soaring voice spanned more than three octaves. Her string of hit songs earned her the title “the Queen of Soul,” multiple Grammy Awards, and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But Aretha didn’t just raise her voice in song, she also spoke out against injustice and fought for civil rights.

Pie Is for Sharing


Stephanie Ledyard - 2018
    Pie Is for Sharing is a gorgeously illustrated ode to sharing by debut author Stephanie Ledyard and acclaimed artist Jason Chin.

A Moon for Moe and Mo


Jane Breskin Zalben - 2018
    One day they meet at Sahadi's market while out shopping with their mothers and are mistaken for brothers. A friendship is born, and the boys bring their families together to share rugelach and date cookies in the park as they make a wish for peace.

Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea


Meena Harris - 2020
    A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood.

My Papi Has a Motorcycle


Isabel Quintero - 2019
    She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.

The Moon Over Star


Dianna Hutts Aston - 2008
    For the young protagonist of this lyrical and hopeful picture book, that landing is something that inspires her to make one giant step toward all of the possibilities that life has to offer. Caldecott Honor– winning painter Jerry Pinkney and the poetic Dianna Hutts Aston create a moving tribute to the historic Apollo 11 Mission, just in time to commemorate its upcoming fortieth anniversary.

Hands Up!


Breanna J. McDaniel - 2019
    She stretches her hands up high like a plane's wings and whizzes down a hill so fast on her bike with her hands way up. As she grows, she lives through everyday moments of joy, love, and sadness. And when she gets a little older, she joins together with her family and her community in a protest march, where they lift their hands up together in resistance and strength.

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family


Ibtihaj Muhammad - 2019
    It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.Paired with Hatem Aly’s beautiful, whimsical art, Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and Morris Award finalist S.K. Ali bring readers an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being proud of who you are.

The Legend of the Poinsettia


Tomie dePaola - 1993
    At Christmastime, the flower blooms and flourishes, the quite exquisite red stars lighting up the countryside.This Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be, through a little girl's unselfish gift to the Christ Child. Beloved Newbery honor-winning author and Caldecott honor-winning illustrator Tomie dePaola has embraced the legend using his own special feeling for Christmas. His glorious paintings capture not only the brilliant colors of Mexico and its art, but also the excitement of the children preparing for Christmas and the hope of Lucida, who comes to see what makes a gift truly beautiful.