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Pamela
Citizen
Username: Pamela
Post Number: 27
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 10:53 am: | 
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Does anyone know of a Passover Haggadah that would be good for a 4 year old? Our seder is going to be small so we decided to gear it towards our little one this year. I saw one or two in catalogs & on-line but I'm not sure they weren't for older kids. Thanks. |
Joanne G
Citizen
Username: Joanne
Post Number: 15
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 11:18 am: |
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Pamela, I'm a little unconventional in that I got a 'big girls'' Haggadah when I was about 5 - it was the size of a paperback novel, with a beautiful paperback cover and rich illustrations. I got it because I was in tears the year before, not being able to follow the service - I couldn't really read the English anyway until I was 5 or 6. The only reason I no longer use that Haggadah is that, after 40 years of solid use, the binding tore irreparably.
Get her a decent grown-up's Haggadah. Gear the seder towards her by talking to her as the focal point of the lesson. Stop the service at any point to answer her questions. The entire experience will mean so much more, and she will always remember the year she got it, and she will always treasure it.
(Being bookish, my new Haggadah has heaps of footnotes and explanations of different customs. I wish I had someone to hand it on to when I die [no children and not likely to have any] - it's useful when you get bored with the arguments over procedure and the tedious repetition of useless pilpul!!) |
ess
Citizen
Username: Ess
Post Number: 1639
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 11:54 am: |
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Joanne - 
Pamela, my family has been using a "grown-up" Haggadah since forever. However, there are many from which to choose, and some are contemporary, with illustrations and comparison to modern dilemmas. These are the ones I prefer.
Last year, after about a gazillion years of using Haggadot that my parents had, we updated, and got a contemporary version. Both of my children (at the time 4 and 8) loved it.
I would advise against a "kiddie" version, but instead choose an adult version that best represents your own beliefs and viewpoints and interests, and share that with your child. |
ril
Citizen
Username: Ril
Post Number: 515
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 3:25 pm: |
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http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-04-05-passover-online_x.htm
customize your own haggadah... |
Joanne G
Citizen
Username: Joanne
Post Number: 18
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 5:33 pm: |
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Some of my best memories of family are our Seders. Dad was the youngest of 13 children, most of whom were married when he was born. By the time I came along, he and two brothers had rebuilt their lives in Australia following WW2 (and the other two survivors went to other countries). Dad, Uncle Salo and Uncle Izak rebuilt the Seders along their family lines - deeply respectful and very learned, and full of practical jokes. One year Uncle Izak put one of those handpumps you buy from magic stores under the seder plate, so that every time Uncle Salo reached for it, it jumped. Another year someone (I think it was my super-observant ultra-religious aunt, married to the oldest brother Uncle Salo) started a food fight at the top end of the table. (She just wanted his attention for minute and had thrown a teeny bit of matzah at him...)
Mum used her French Haggadah until it fell apart. Then she bought a few of the simplistic school version endorsed by the Jewish day school my younger brother attended. What an awful awful book that is! Am horrified that it is still in use and the standard in many homes including my in-laws'! Abridged Hebrew, ridiculous nursery rhyme English that isn't even a translation, cheap illustrations - just makes me shudder and break out in hives when I see it. You probably all know the one I mean.
My sister got a large one with a brass inset for her bat mitzvah; my partner got the same version with a different cover for his bar mitzvah. They both use them still - and I giggle each year because no-one had fixed the typo's in the English in the 12 years between their gift-dates! A musical cousin received one with the music printed for the singing bits, and every year she leads the singing and just inspires me.
I love that we are not standardised and must discuss what happens next. I love seeing who wins (it's different each year). I love seeing the differences in political loading in the way the Hebrew is translated. I love how, as my life experience changes, the boring useless bits sometimes seem to be the very threads keeping us all together in time...
Pamela, ess, ril - thank you! I now know what to get my little niece for her next birthday (because my brother will go the funky-modern- let's gloss over it way)!! |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 834
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 6:12 pm: |
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A year or two ago, I bought some terrific Haggadahs from the Chai Judaica store in Millburn, on Millburn Ave across from Khun Thai. They aren't babyish at all and I can see us using them until our kids are in high school or even beyond. (Except that we also have some gorgeous adult ones; its nice to use different ones because the illustrations can be so beautiful!) They have little insets offering factoids and insights in English, which can help for families that pride themselves on doing really, really, really late seders!
If they dont' still carry them, I'm certain they'll have another great children's alternative.
"The ArtScroll Children's Haggadah" by Shmuel Blitz, Illustrated by Tova Katz |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 835
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 6:14 pm: |
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Actually, here it is on Amazon - no picture unfortunately, but you can read another person's review of it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578191378/sr=8-11/qid=1144361610/ref=sr_1_11/1 02-8630127-5541741?%5Fencoding=UTF8 |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 836
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 6:17 pm: |
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http://www.artscroll.com/Books/HCHH.html
here it is and you can view the inside and it is cheaper!
I hope you find what you need! Best wishes! |
Joanne G
Citizen
Username: Joanne
Post Number: 20
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 11:26 pm: |
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Artscroll - that's my new one, and also I have their machzorim for Rosh haShana and Yom Kippur. Haven't seen the kids' version but am sure it's equally user-friendly!  |
Reesa
Citizen
Username: Reesa
Post Number: 120
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 12:22 am: |
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"The Matzoh that Papa brought home" - not exactly a haggadah, but a great re-telling of the passover story for little ones. We've used it in my family for the kids along with our regular haggadah. Not sure of the author offhand - it's a children's book. |
MHCLyons
Citizen
Username: Hamandeggs
Post Number: 241
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 5:57 am: |
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And the Shoprite in WO has a few that are good for kids, too. I bought them and we did a trial run thru some of the plagues. They were fine. |
GSP142
Citizen
Username: Gsp142
Post Number: 97
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 3:18 pm: |
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You may also want to visit Rabbi Sky Hebrew Books, on Springfield Avenue right here in Maplewood (already closed today and closed tomorrow, of course) (973) 763-4244, and see what they have available. |
Jelly
Citizen
Username: Jelly
Post Number: 25
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 6:51 pm: |
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This is the one I used with my kids: My Favorite Family Haggadah: A Fun, Interactive Passover Service for Children & Their Families (Paperback)
by Shari Faden Donahue http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963428713/ref=pd_sbs_b_3/104-6322892-7815961?% 5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155 |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 849
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:39 pm: |
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Donahue? |
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