Book picks similar to
The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel


picture-books
picture-book
jewish
holiday

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree


Jamie L.B. Deenihan - 2019
       “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.

Night Job


Karen Hesse - 2018
    Brian Karas share the nighttime experience of a father and child.When the sun sets, Dad's job as a school custodian is just beginning. What is it like to work on a Friday night while the rest of the city is asleep? There's the smell of lilacs in the night air, the dusky highway in the moonlight, and glimpses of shy nighttime animals to make the dark magical. Shooting baskets in the half-lit gym, sweeping the stage with the game on the radio, and reading out loud to his father in the library all help the boy's time pass quickly. But what makes the night really special is being with Dad. Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse's quietly powerful story of a boy and his father is tenderly brought to life by G. Brian Karas in this luminous tribute to an enduring, everyday sort of love.

The Water Princess


Susan Verde - 2016
    But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. And try as she might, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer. Every morning, she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well. Instead of a crown, she wears a heavy pot on her head to collect the water. After the voyage home, after boiling the water to drink and clean with, Gie Gie thinks of the trip that tomorrow will bring. And she dreams. She dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-clear water of its own.

You Hold Me Up


Monique Gray Smith - 2017
    This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.

Black Is a Rainbow Color


Angela Joy - 2020
    . .And there’s no BLACK in rainbows.From the wheels of a bicycle to the robe on Thurgood Marshall's back, Black surrounds our lives. It is a color to simply describe some of our favorite things, but it also evokes a deeper sentiment about the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and thrive.Stunningly illustrated by Caldecott Honoree and Coretta Scott King Award winner Ekua Holmes, Black Is a Rainbow Color is a sweeping celebration told through debut author Angela Joy’s rhythmically captivating and unforgettable words.

Our Little Kitchen


Jillian Tamaki - 2020
    With a garden full of produce, a joyfully chaotic kitchen, and a friendly meal shared at the table, Our Little Kitchen is a celebration of full bellies and looking out for one another. Bonus materials include recipes and an author’s note about the volunteering experience that inspired the book.

My Two Border Towns


David Bowles - 2021
    It's close--just down the street from his school--and it's a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they're greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup. On their final and most important stop, they check in with friends seeking asylum and drop off much-needed supplies.My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, with illustrations by Erika Meza, is the loving story of a father and son's weekend ritual, a demonstration of community care, and a tribute to the fluidity, complexity, and vibrancy of life on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music


Margarita Engle - 2015
    Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.         Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey


Susan Wojciechowski - 1995
    And now this stunning gift set invites friends and family to gather and enjoy the magic of holiday storytelling at its finest.

Keeping the City Going


Brian Floca - 2021
    Outside we see the city we know, but not as we’ve seen it before. The once hustling and bustling streets are empty. Well, almost empty. Around the city there are still people, some, out and about. These are the people keeping us safe. Keeping us healthy. Keeping our mail and our food delivered. Keeping our grocery stores stocked. Keeping the whole city going.

Hair Twins


Raakhee Mirchandani - 2021
    Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail.  But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look!

My City Speaks


Darren Lebeuf - 2021
    As they do, the girl describes what she senses in precise, poetic detail. Her city, she says, “rushes and stops, and waits and goes.” It “pitters and patters, and drips and drains.” It “echoes” and “trills,” and is both “smelly” and “sweet.” Her city also speaks, as it “dings and dongs, and rattles and roars.” And sometimes, maybe even some of the best times, it just listens.

Thankful


Eileen Spinelli - 2015
    Eileen Spinelli, bestselling and award-winning children's author, charms with rhymes and whimsy in Thankful, perfect for any young reader and their family.Thankful is a heartwarming picture book that teaches children ages 4–8 to:Focus on the blessings that we tend to take for grantedAppreciate essential workers and what people in our everyday lives provide: “Like the gardener thankful for every green sprout, and the fireman, for putting the fire out.”Meant to be read aloud, Thankful features:Endearing storytelling with engaging rhyming text, making reading fun for readers young and oldWhimsical illustrations with soft colors and bold lines, perfect for any season

A Different Pond


Bao Phi - 2017
    Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.

When Jessie Came Across the Sea


Amy Hest - 1997
    Lynch create an unforgettable tribute to the immigrant experience.Jessie lives with her grandmother in a poor village in the valleys of eastern Europe. When, to everyone's surprise, young Jessie is chosen by the village rabbi to travel to America, and to leave her grandmother behind, they both feel their hearts will break. Award-winning author Amy Hest brings her sure and inspired touch to the story of our immigrant heritage as she follows Jessie across the ocean to a new life—and a new love—in America. Exquisitely illustrated by P.J. Lynch, with paintings that glow with warmth and carefully observed detail, WHEN JESSIE COMES ACROSS THE SEA transcends time and culture in a tribute to the courage and hope of all who seek a better life. It is destined to become a modern classic.