PJ Library subscribers ages five to six will receive the delightful hidden picture book, Afikoman, Where’d You Go?, written by Rebecca Gardyn Levington, illustrated by Noa Kelner, and published by Penguin Random House. In this hidden-pictures story, readers are invited to try to find a wily piece of matzah hiding in the pages.
On Passover (Pesach in Hebrew), we tell a very old story. Thousands of years ago, the ancient Israelites threw off the bonds of slavery and made a mad dash toward freedom. Just as our ancestors rushed about to get ready for their big journey, the kids in this story rush to find the afikomen, the middle piece of matzah from the seder table — and the afikomen rushes, too, to avoid being caught. The story of Passover definitely involves a lot of hurrying, but the real point of the holiday is to celebrate liberation. Maybe in this story, we can root for the afikomen to run free!
Take a Closer Look
- There is so much going on in each room of the house in this story. Which of these rooms is the most interesting to you?
- Can you find hints that let you know a Jewish family lives here?
- Look at the illustrations of the dining table at the beginning and the end of the book.
- What hints do you see that the family is celebrating Passover?
- There’s a “save” sign on one of the chairs. Who do you think they are saving the chair for?
Talk it Over
- If you were searching for the afikomen in your home, where would you look first?
- If you were the afikomen, where would you hide?
- Does your family celebrate Passover with a seder?
- How is your seder similar to the one in this book?
- How is it different?
More
Getting Ready for Passover — a Book List
Make Your Own Plague Props
Passover Printables
March 25, 2025