From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6–Acrylic paintings in a childlike folk-art style play out this traditional song that is sung at the end of the Passover Seder. Chwast's illustrations of a peasant farm show spring hay and egg gathering; women washing clothes in a stream; children playing; matzoh baking; candle lighting; and, finally, the family seated for the Seder meal. The characters mentioned in the song appear one after another in a white border at the top of each spread, until all of them are shown together. Had Gadya (one goat) is a cumulative, seemingly nonsensical song that tells of a goat, which is eaten by a cat, which is bitten by a dog, which is chased by a stick that is burned by fire, and so on. The song ends on a serious note with the appearance of the Angel of Death, who kills the butcher and then is destroyed by God. Herein lies a problem with this presentation. The simple picture-book format has the appearance of a preschool story, but the visualization of the ending (a scary Angel of Death that appears on two pages) makes it inappropriate for young children. Older children will be put off by the simple format. A two-page endnote by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, geared to adults, explains the song's history and possible meanings. Music and words in transliterated Aramaic are appended.–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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From Booklist
K-Gr. 3. With an exuberant traditional shtetl setting showing two children and their family preparing for the Passover seder, Chwast illustrates the folksong that ends the celebration feast. As in much folklore, the drama is violent: the goat is killed by the cat that is bitten by the dog, and so on, until God finally destroys the Angel of Death. In a final note, a rabbi discusses differing interpretations of the song; some commentators accept it as light and fun, while others object to the cycle of horror it portrays or consider it a representation of the Jewish people's triumph over their enemies. The bright, acrylic folk-art paintings express the rhythm of the chant, as the goat and then the other characters are gathered, in appropriately cumulative fashion, across the top of the double-page spreads. The book, complete with musical notation and Hebrew and English words, is bound to add to the pleasure of the seder even as it provokes some lively arguments. Abby Levine's picture book This Is the Matzah, reviewed on p.1084, provides a wider perspective on the holiday. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.