I liked the book Sammy Spider’s First Passover because of the perspective and the humor. The book is from Sammy’s point of view, and he is very curious about the Shapiro family’s celebration of Passover, wondering if he will participate in the Passover. His mother keeps saying, “Spiders don’t celebrate Passover.” Sammy asks questions that a child would ask, and his mother gives him answers by explaining the preparations and traditions of Passover. Sammy’s excitement shows in much of the text; for example, when the Jewish boy was looking for the hidden matzah (afikomen), the author writes, “Sammy wished he could help, but he remembered his mother’s words.” I also enjoyed the book because of the interesting humor. Sammy’s mother teaches him how to spin a web using different shapes. At the end, Sammy spins a Jewish star right above the afikomen to help the boy find it. After all this occurred, Sammy tells his mother, “You make a square, a circle, and a triangle. Then you PASS OVER with another triangle. That’s how spiders celebrate Passover!” The main message of the story is what Passover is, describing the various customs and traditions involved; it also includes how Passover brings unity and warmth to a family. ( )

This is a simple discussion of Passover for children 5 and under.