Barnyard Purim

K-Gr 2—The story of how brave Queen Esther saved the Jewish people of Persia from wicked Haman's evil plot is often retold as a play during Purim. When Farmer Max leaves to go to the performance, the animals decide to put on their own production. Chicken appoints himself director and assigns the parts: Duck as Queen Esther, Goat as Mordechai, Horse as King Ahashuerus, and Sheep as Haman, with the cows as noisemakers and the geese as the members of the audience. But when Sheep has difficulty in his role as Haman, Goat takes him into the barn to find a costume to inspire him. Meanwhile, Fox shows up with his eyes on Duck. The animals all assume he is Sheep in a fox costume. When they realize their mistake, they band together to chase the interloper away. The detailed, expressive illustrations add to the animals' personalities, but the lengthy text is heavy on dialogue, making it difficult to distinguish among the characters. Not as accessible as Leone Adelson's The Mystery Bear: A Purim Story (Clarion, 2004), this offering will best be enjoyed by readers already familiar with the Purim story.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL