Why is this night different?

This night is different because it signals (finally, some might say) the beginning of spring. And to many of us, that means the approach of a holiday with a major focus on that question and others. Why is this night different? Why are we singing all these songs and eating such strange food? Why is there a wind-up frog on the table?

Passover is a month away, but as you know if you've ever prepared for it, that's not all that long. But it's not just about cooking and cleaning. It's also about sharing the ancient story of the Jews' escape from slavery. If you need a little help sharing that story with the young people in your life, we've got you covered.

For the youngest of young readers, we have books that present Passover in its simplest elements: P is for Passover by Tanya Lee Stone, Four Special Questions: A Passover Story by Jonny Zucker, Dinosaur on Passover by Diane Levin Rauchweger, and The Great Matzoh Hunt by Jannie Ho. Older readers might enjoy the gorgeous fold-outs in Harriet Ziefert's Passover: Celebrating Now, Remembering Then, the humor in Rebecca O'Connell's Penina Levine is a Hard-Boiled Egg or Dave Horowitz's Five Little Gefiltes, or the fresh perspective in Miriam's Cup by Fran Manushkin or Passover Around the World by Tami Lehman-Wilzig. If your young reader wants to follow along during the seder, check out Sammy Spider's First Haggadah by Sylvia A. Rouss, Family Haggadah by Elie Gindi, or My Very Own Haggadah by Judyth Groner.

So come on by the kids' section! And if you'd like to know how to make a kosher-for-Passover charoset pie, just flag me down.