I have always loved that Jews have been described as 'The People of the Book'. And I love how the secular world, and the Jewish world have recently corroborated for Purim to fall near, or on (like this year) World Book Day.
My daughter's excitement is palpable as we discuss different dressing up options. Of course, as a busy parent with limited resource and creativity, it is a relief that there is only one costume to figure out rather than two!
Over the weekend, we decided to make some hamantaschen. I wondered aloud where we might find a good recipe. Evelyn Rose? Jewish Princess Festivals cookbook? My daughter rushes upstairs, and returns with her PJ Library book 'Not for all the Hamantaschen in Town'. With three cartoon pigs on the front cover, I was dubious to say the least....
'There's a recipe in here mummy!' she tells me with a huge broad smile.
'OK!' I reply nervously, thinking quietly to myself, 'do we have enough ingredients and time to make these, and have a back-up batch from a more trusted source?'.
So we made the triangular cookies, using the recipe at the back, and read the book together whilst they were baking in the oven.
We discussed literary themes such as 'magpie-ing' (borrowing ideas from other stories) and character development. My daughter absolutely understood that this book was based on The Three Little Pigs, but had been turned into a Jewish festival story. However, she was completely clueless as to the ACTUAL story of Purim! When the pigs decide to dress up as King Ahasuerus for the Purim party, my daughter asked me innocently - 'who's he?'
Looks like I'm going to have to dig out a traditional Purim story for her today, whilst we prepare our costumes for Purim and World Book Day, and it is a timely reminder that you can never have enough stories, or books, for our Children of the Book.
And the three little pigs' hamantaschen recipe? Delicious!
Written by Anna Dyson- Married, 3 kids, set up and run a community cafe social enterprise in Leeds, loves tennis, walks in the fabulous Yorkshire countryside, being Jewish, cats
March 2, 2018