Purim Books
Be happy, it’s Adar! It’s the month in the Jewish calendar to be merry, when we celebrate Purim and look forward to spring. Time to party!
When I looked for books about Purim for kids, it was challenging to find many. We need more books about Purim! But I do have some gems to recommend. Here are some that celebrate the raucous holiday, full of villains and heroines, genocide and hamantaschen. Read, enjoy, and then go write some new Purim books!
The Better-than-Best Purim by Naomi Howland (2012)
The matriarch of an animal-filled house needs help with the hamantaschen, but none of her pets will lend a hand. Turns out they are working on a surprise for her. In the end, there is fun and cookies for all!
Cakes and Miracles: A Purim Tale by Barbara Diamond Goldin and Jaime Zollars (2010)
Herschel, who is blind, wants to help bake hamataschen for Purim. After dreaming of an angel, he trusts that he is able to make something special for the whole village.
Meet the Hamantaschen: A Purim Mystery by Alan Silberberg (2022)
A trio of hamantaschen must find the missing megilla so the Purim play can start. Kids will have a blast following the clues and solving the mystery along with the hamantaschen detectives.
The Queen of Persia: An Illustrated Adaptation of an Ancient Story by Rabbi Moshe Moscowitz, David Sokoloff, Jon Carter, and Yale Resnick (2004)
This graphic novel version of the Purim story will appeal to older kids and independent readers. Each chapter has a quiz to let readers test their holiday knowledge.
Beni’s Family Treasury: Stories for the Jewish Holidays by Jane Breskin Zalben (1998)
This collection has stories about five Jewish holidays starring the bear Beni and his relatives. In “Goldie’s Purim,” Goldie is nervous to play Esther in the Purim play, but finds her courage when she needs it, just like the queen did.
All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown by Sydney Taylor (1972)
I love Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family books, and I’m so glad they are back in print. This volume, published fourth but second in chronology, has episodes for all of the family. In one chapter, Ella is cast in the Hebrew school Purim play as the court jester.