The Mysterious Missing ­Matzoh

Gr 1-3–The Cohen family is celebrating Passover at the grandparents’ house, and it’s time for Grandpa to hide the piece of matzoh called the afikomen. He looks all over the house for the perfect place, so the children won’t easily find it. Then, someone calls out that the soup is ready, and Grandpa gets distracted. When the special meal is over and it’s finally time for the children to find the afikomen, they tear through every room in the house. They check the garage, they check the doghouse, they even check the neighbor’s yard: no afikomen. The kids return to Grandpa and ask where the afikomen is, but he can’t remember where he put it after he got distracted. Readers will be delighted when they finally discover the afikomen’s hiding place. Auerbach’s playful, childlike illustrations complement Katz’s compelling story well, keeping readers engaged. The illustrations are detailed enough to include authentic Hebrew words on the prayer book and the family’s pets watching Grandpa attempt to hide the piece of matzoh. An afterword explains the tradition of hiding the afikomen.