Editorial Review

“Not since Bullwinkle has there been as charming a moose as Paulie. Paulie is a moos-ician who cuts his musical practice short in order to prepare a seder for his friends that evening. He is thoughtfulness personified, although a tad misguided, when he uses some unusual items on his seder plate: an ostrich egg for greater visibility, salt water with pepper added (so that the pepper wouldn’t be jealous of the salt), charoset made of apples and pine cones, grass instead of parsley, a radish carved in the shape of a horse to stand in for horseradish, and lamb’s wool instead of a lamb bone. Paulie’s eyes fill with tears when his guests laugh at his seder plate choices. Soon his friends reassure him when they say that ‘Your seder plate is different, but each thing still reminds us of Passover—in a Paulie way.’ All is well as the search for the afikomen ensues until Paulie finds himself and the afikomen stuck in the basement. ‘What a predicament!’ he thought. Paulie is released from his basement bondage when he thinks of a very clever way to signal his guests. Paulie declines a reward for the afikomen. ‘I don’t need one,’ said Paulie. ‘My reward is being free, like our ancestors on Passover. And that’s enough for me!’ Barbara Vagnozzi’s illustrations strike just the right tone. Paulie and his animal friends are colorful and full of expression.” – Association of Jewish Libraries