The Passover Cowboy

PreS-Gr 2—Jacob and his family emigrate from Russia to Argentina in the early 1900s. He longs for authentic bombachas pants and a lasso and to ride a horse in the rodeo like his new friend Benito. The boy also hopes that Benito will accept his invitation to join Jacob and his family for the Passover seder. In the Old Country, their home would be filled with family and friends for the holiday. Instead, this year it is just Jacob, his sister, and his parents, but their home is still filled with the wonderful smells of the traditional foods, and Jacob and his family take comfort in the familiar rituals of the holiday. When there's a loud knock at the door, everyone is startled by the arrival of three rowdy chickens, followed by Benito, who has brought Jacob his own lasso and is interested in learning about the Jewish celebration of freedom. While there are many books about the Jewish American immigrant experience, Goldin represents the little-known story of the more than 25,000 Jews who settled in Argentina. The intricate, textured, and traditionally styled paintings beautifully complement the narrative and help bring this unique immigrant, and Jewish holiday, tale to life. Details about many of the holiday customs are integrated into the text, and an appended author's note contains information about Passover and the Jews of Argentina.