The Longest Night: A Passover Story
The Passover story of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt is told in the voice of a young slave girl who witnesses the ten plagues and eventually makes the journey with thousands of others to freedom. Laurel Snyder’s rhyming narrative conveys the strife, the uncertainty, and the fear, but also moments of reassurance. “Strangely, Aba seemed to wait / Calmly for each harsh new fate, / Sat and whittled in his chair, / I sat too, and said a prayer.” With the order to flee comes chaos, but also hope. “Made our way to sifting sands, / Scrambling feet, but clasping hands. / Thirsting, thrilling, full of fright— / None of us were slaves that night.” The muted palette of Catia Chien’s illustrations reflect the grittiness of the girl’s life, but brightens symbolically with the crossing of the parted sea at story’s end. In an author’s note, Snyder remembers listening to the Exodus story during Passovers as a child. “The story was mostly Moses and Pharaoh bargaining for the lives of everyone else … I wanted to know what it was like to be a child of Israel. I couldn’t quite picture it. This book is my answer to the curious girl I was.” © Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Catia Chien
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Celebrations, Holidays, and Observances
Egyptians and Egyptian Americans
Faith, Spirituality and Religion
Fear
Hope and Healing
Jewish People
Religious Stories
Slavery
Stories in Rhyme
Diversity subjects:
Arab
Black/African
Middle East
Jewish
Publisher:
Schwartz & Wade
Publish Year: 2013
Pages: 36
ISBN: 9780375869426
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Snyder