Matzah Belowstairs
Miriam Mouse’s family always celebrates Passover Belowstairs, while the human Winklers celebrate Abovestairs. But this year Miriam cannot bring home any bits of matzah for the Mouse family Passover because the Winklers have stored their matzah in a tin. All seems lost for the Mouse family seder until Miriam Mouse comes upon the Winkler family’s afikomen—just before Eli Winkler does!
“Two loving Jewish families live at the Winkler house: “Abovestairs” are the Winklers themselves; “Belowstairs”—under the floorboards—is the Mouse family. All the inhabitants are anticipating Passover, but the Mouse family’s preparations are in crisis: the Winklers have put their matzah in a new, impenetrable tin (“Nobody could chew through that,” says Grandpa Mouse), and how can the Mouses have their Seder if they can’t forage for matzah? Leave it to the youngest, smallest members of each family—Eli Winkler and Miriam Mouse—to solve the problem: they turn the ancient ritual of finding the afikoman into an opportunity to restock the Mouses’ matzah supply. Meyer’s breezy, brief text lifts the story, and Engell’s wide-eyed, anxious mice should resonate with readers experiencing their own family’s holiday-related shpilkes. Ages 4–8.” –Publishers’ Weekly (February 2019)
I’m delighted to learn that this book is going over really well with its readers, especially those about ages two to seven! I’ve been sent some adorable letters and photographs. One small reader/listener in Atlanta found a tiny door and told his mom that Miriam Mouse lived there! Parents of Manu, Annika, Isaac, and Tali–thank you for sharing! If your child likes the book and you’d like to send me a photo (at smeyer[at]wellesley.edu), it will make me very happy!
