Publisher Description

Raquela yearns to celebrate a Passover seder, but Inquisition-era Spain is a time when Jews must hide their religion. Under the rising moon, her clever papa, the best fisherman in town, creates a unique celebration for his family. In his fishing boat on the sea, far from prying eyes, they celebrate Raquela's first seder with matzah and the Passover story.

Author Biography

Joel Stein is a former staff writer for CTB/McGraw-Hill. A member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, he lives in Florida with his wife, son, two birds, and a tortoise. His books include A Hanukkah with Mazel, The Pigeon Man, and The Capture of Rafael Ortega. Sara Ugolotti was born near Reggio Emilia, in the north of Italy. She earned a degree in Illustration at the International School of Comics in Reggio Emilia. She draws and paints using different techniques but mainly works in digital format. Her projects include magazines, children's book illustration and cartoon animations. Her illustrations have been selected for exhibitions throughout the world. She lives in Parma, Italy.

Review

" Stein's premise is lyrically illustrated in Ugolotti's atmospheric art: the little boat is illuminated by a huge full moon, and the family celebrates accompanied by starry skies and undulating waves in shades of greens and blues." -- Publishers Weekly-- (2/7/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"A lovely, moving tale of stolen freedom and hopes for a new beginning." -- Kirkus Reviews-- (10/27/2021 12:00:00 AM)
"Thoughtful and tender, this beautiful story of hope is a valuable addition to all collections."--starred, School Library Journal-- (1/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)

Review Quote

"Raquela's family, Jews in the Spain of Ferdinand and Isabella, must practice their religion in secret or face dire consequences. On Friday nights, the family goes to the cellar to light candles for Shabbat. Raquela has heard of Passover and dreams of having a seder. Papa is a successful fisherman and describes his work to Raquela. When telling her that to catch a fish, one must be smarter than one and that to be smarter than a fish, one must think like one, he realizes he has the ability to give his family a seder in the open air. Mama bakes matzah, and the family gathers such things as nuts, spices, a wine goblet, and a tablecloth. Raquela and Mama quietly go to the shore, where Papa is waiting in his boat. They sail out to Papa's secret fishing spot and have their seder as Papa explains the symbolic foods and tells the Passover story of how the Jews attained their freedom. Stein combines the stories of the two historic eras with simple, descriptive language, infusing the tale with hope and conveying an underlying sadness and fear as Raquela and her family yearn to live openly as Jews. Ugolotti's beautifully rendered illustrations perfectly capture the time and place and tenderly portray the characters' deepest feelings. The characters have brown skin and eyes and dark hair. A lovely, moving tale of stolen freedom and hopes for a new beginning." -- Kirkus Reviews

Feature

This story takes place among the Sephardic community of Spain during the Inquisition

Description for Press or Other Media

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