A family's Passover celebration is equal parts warmth and charm in this cozy picture book, with the traditional seder song “Dayenu” as the grateful refrain. In this story told in spare, lyrical prose, a Jewish family prepares for their Passover seder, visiting the farmer's market for walnuts, lilacs, and honey (and adopting a kitten along the way!), then chopping apples for the charoset, and getting dressed up before walking to Nana's house. The refrain throughout is “Dayenu”—a mind-set of thankfulness, a reminder to be aware of the blessings in each moment. At Nana's, there's matzo ball soup, chicken, coconut macaroons, and of course, the hidden afikomen. After opening the door for Elijah and singing the verses of “Chad Gadya,”Nana tucks the children in for a special Passover sleepover.
This warm, affectionate story embraces Passover in the spirit of
dayenu, and offers a comprehensive glossary—it’s a perfect read for the entire family in anticipation and celebration of the holiday.
April Halprin Wayland is the author of several picture books, including
New Year at the Pier and the young adult novel-in-verse
Girl Coming in for a Landing, which won both the Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Award for Children’s Poetry and the Myra Cohn Livingston Award. She lives in Los Angeles.
Katie Kath holds an MFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and lives in the rolling hills of North Carolina with her husband and their cat. This is her first picture book.
Praise for More Than Enough “Works equally well as a primer on Passover and a reminder for any child, Jewish or not, that any day can be filled with things that feel like blessings . . . Hum[s] with personality and lively details.”—
The New York Times “'Dayenu' is a joyful, upbeat, and energetic song, as is this book! Readers of all ages will enjoy following the adventures of the children in this story as they shop with their mother, adopt a kitten, taste the rain, help cook the Seder meal, and celebrate the Passover holiday with their extended family.”
—The Jewish Eye “Scenes of Jewish home life exude an easygoing buoyancy and warmth, with just enough humor and detail to make readers eager to find their own ‘Dayenu’ moments.”—
Publishers Weekly "The infectious, child-appealing watercolor artwork—with that adorable kitten!—will make readers smile. And once they understand the meaning of dayenu, they’ll get into the spirit of gratitude as well."—
Booklist “Kath's fresh, perky watercolors perfectly match the joyous tone of the text. A delightful, modern take on an ancient tradition.”—
Kirkus Reviews “Upbeat declarations are concise and rhythmic. . . . Cheerful scenes are full of gentle color and movement. . . . Extremely satisfying.”—
School Library Journal “Winning . . . Readers follow a young Jewish family as they prepare for and celebrate Passover. With its straightforward narrative and glossary of terms,
More Than Enough can also serve as an introduction to holiday customs for a non-Jewish audience.”—
The Salt Lake Tribune
“Wayland’s descriptions of Dayenu and the symbolic traditions of Passover will touch the hearts of readers. She carries the readers through various aspects and experiences of the Passover celebration and its importance as a touchstone to the past. Katie Kath uses watercolor to . . . depict wonderful visual representations of the preparation and celebration of Passover.”—WCMU Public Radio
Praise for New Year at the Pier: * "[T]he empathetic, low-key prose makes important points about personal responsibility without pummeling readers."—
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The universality of emotion and the quality presentation make this book a good choice for multicultural New Year celebrations."—
School Library Journal "A well-crafted introduction to an alternative aspect of the holiday with room for discussion."—
Kirkus Reviews "Believable family interaction, a good sense of community, and some lovely language permeate this very now, very real story."—
JT News "[O]ffers an excellent, thorough look at forgiveness during one of the most important holidays of the years."—
Jewish Book World Magazine
