A PURR-FECT PASSOVER + Interview with author Jenna Waldman + a DOUBLE giveaway!

Hey Picture Book Builders!

I have the sweetest and fluffiest treat for you today, just in time for the Jewish holiday of Passover, which is coming up on April 12^th! I am thrilled to have the amazing Jenna Waldman with us to celebrate the release of her newest rhyming picture book, A PURR-FECT PASSOVER, illustrated by the equally amazing Erica J. Chen, and published by Apples & Honey Press.

Here’s my review I wrote to give you just a taste of what I love about this adorable book:

The sweet kitties who made their debut in Waldman and Chen’s PURR-IM TIME! are back again to celebrate Passover! This book, chock full of colorful illustrations and rolling rhymes, exudes joy and fun on every page. We get to follow the adorable kitties as they prepare for the Passover seder and then enjoy the festivities with family and friends. I love how the author snuck in so many Passover customs with a cute-kitty-twist – like the youngest singing the Four Questions as “Meow-nishtanah.” The back matter includes a craft project (making a “Meow-tzah Cover”!) and a note for families to encourage discussions about freedom and gratitude. Little ones will love this one!

AND, by the way, A PURR-FECT PASSOVER received a STARRED REVIEW From School Library Journal!

RGL: YAY Jenna and welcome to Picture Book Builders!

JW: Hi Rebecca! It’s wonderful to join you here!

RGL: Okay, let’s get to it! The kitties have so much fun celebrating Passover in this book. Just curious: what is YOUR favorite part of the Passover holiday? 

JW: When I was little, Passover and Thanksgiving were my two favorite holidays. I loved family getting together, and the special foods that were only made once a year. Now, looking back as an adult I think about how different all the seders I attended were! From a feminist seder where we used the word “goddess”, to one where toys were thrown around for the plagues. I went to a seder that lasted until 1am, and one with my NYC family where the seder lasted about 15 minutes so that everyone could dig into the meal and schmooze. The list goes on! My boys have also experienced a variety of seders. Some with a dozen little boys running around after too much grape juice, and others (especially during Covid) where it was just us at home, learning to make our own matzah. So, to sum it all up, my favorite part of the Passover holiday is that it reminds me that we all celebrate in our own way, and those differences are awesome!

The book is actually dedicated to everyone who ever hosted me (and my family) for Passover.

RGL: Oh, I love that so much. Passover is absolutely my favorite holiday too because it is all about togetherness. So, this is the second book in your “kitties” series (PURR-IM TIME being the first). Did you always have a holiday series in mind for these kitties or was it the publisher’s idea? (Are you allowed to share if there are more kitty books on the way?!)

JW: Ha! That’s a great question. The first book I sold was Larry’s Latkes, and the publisher (Apples & Honey Press) asked me to write another Larry book. I tried a few drafts, but it just didn’t feel organic to me, I couldn’t see Larry doing more than Hanukkah. Then, after they bought Purr-im Time, I proposed creating a series using the same kitties for more holidays, and they agreed! I was so excited because, well, having a series is pretty cool, but as a mom of three kitties, I had always wanted to sell a cat book, and now there’s a kitty series! 

My original manuscript for the next “kitties” book was about Tu BiShvat (birthday of the trees), but we settled on a more major holiday for the sequel (Passover). I’m still hoping to see the kitties celebrating the trees someday!  

And yes, shhh, don’t tell anyone…there will be another kitty holiday book next year! What holiday? You’ll just have to be paw-tient (ok, terrible cat pun, sorry!). 

RGL: YAY! Can’t wait for yet another kitty book! Tell us, what was your writing process like for this book? 

JW: To begin the writing, I pulled out my family Haggadah (the book that shows us the order of the seder) from PJ Library. I was curious to see how they explained the Passover story to young children. There are some pretty heavy elements in the Passover, and I wanted to make sure I was thoughtful when retelling it. I spent a bit of time reading about how to talk to children about the plagues. I was happy my editor agreed with how to approach it, so we didn’t show the kitties enjoying the telling of the plagues, just celebrating the pharaoh setting them free. I also made an outline that included all of the important points of Passover that should be touched on, and what children enjoy most about the holiday. The scene with the matzah cover painting is an example of this. We still use my boys’ handmade matzah cover and seder plate from preschool. I wanted to show the kitties being actively creative as part of their celebration.

JW: I also still have my kids’ preschool matzah covers! Ah, the memories. So, did the fact that you had the same characters and same rhyme scheme as the first book make this one easier to write?

Well, yes and no. I often appreciate some type of constraint with writing. Think about the wonderful writing contests the kidlit community hosts. There’s usually a theme, a word count, and sometimes there are certain words you have to incorporate. Then think about sitting down and looking at the blank page with no existing ideas of what you’re going to write. Which one feels easier? There is something really magical about not having constraints, and letting your imagination soar! But it can be overwhelming! There’s something much easier, or at least safer, about knowing what you will be writing about, the rhyme scheme, the rough word count, etc. 

So, I think it made it feel “safer”. As for easier, since I’m reflecting on it now, I remember how tricky it was to simplify the Passover story for young children, in rhyme, in only a few stanzas, and performed by cats. That was the hardest part! But, when it all came together, it felt wonderful. 

As far as the characters, that’s all Erica’s magic! She created the recurring kitty characters that steal the show with their antics. In A Purr-fect Passover, I mention “young and old”, and I was curious about how she’d show that with the characters. All of the kitties in Purr-im Time were about the same age (in my interpretation, at least).  But she created the most adorable “older” and “younger” kitties that fit right into the kitty mayhem. 

Speaking of Erica’s magic, she introduced another new character in A Purr-fect Passover—a mouse! You’ll have to read the book to see where he comes in, but I love him.

RGL: That’s so cute! Erica J. Chen’s illustrations are just (if not more) adorable in this book than the first! Which spread is your favorite and why?

JW: Erica is amazing! I’m delighted to be working with her on this series. There are two spreads that are tied for my favorite. The first is when the kitties are delighting in the messy art making process. They’re painting their matzah covers, tails dripping in colors, and just look so happy! I love seeing my own kids so excited by what they’re creating, that all concern about tidiness falls away, so I can totally see my kids in the kitties Erica created. (I’m the weird mom who loves messy play!)

My other favorite spread is when the three lead kitty characters are at the table, and exploring the seder plate. I just love seeing them close up, and their unique reactions to the different things on the plate. On one side, the text reads “Watch out for the bitter herbs! Horseradish might bite back!”. Writing this line cracked me up (like a piece of matzah!) and the expression of the poor kitty who ate the spicy horseradish does too. I’ve been there, kitty!  

RGL: LOL. You crack me up too! And now, my favorite question to ask my guests: What is one question no one has yet to ask you about the making of this book that you would love to answer? (And what’s the answer?!)

This IS a great question, and I wish I had a juicier answer! But I do have a fishy-er one! It’s not really about the making of the book, but no one has asked me about my favorite and least favorite Passover foods. My favorite part of the meal is making a sandwich with matzah, maror (horseradish), and charoset (mainly apples & walnuts)—a wonderful combination of sweet, spicy, and crunchy. My least favorite, and as my CP, you already know this…is gefilte fish (basically, fishmeal balls)! You’ve already read an entire manuscript I wrote devoted to my feelings about gefilte fish. It’s something I never eat. Well, there is one exception. I once enjoyed some homemade salmon gefilte fish. But the gefilte fish from a jar, resting in wobbly fish jelly? Nope. 

However, it was fun for me to imagine the kitties absolutely going meowy over gefilte fish in the book! 

RGL: Oh, I am SO with you about gefilte fish! I can’t eat it because I’m allergic to fish, but even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t go near it. Ewww!

Thanks so much for joining us, Jenna! And HUGE congrats on yet another fabulous book! 

JW: Thank you for having me, Rebecca!

RGL: And YES, dear readers, Jenna has generously agreed to do not one but TWO giveaways! One person will win a copy of A PURR-FECT PASSOVER (US-addresses only) and another will win a 30-minute Ask Me Anything Zoom call. Just comment on this post for your chance to win. I’ll announce the winner on my next post, April 15^th!

And the winner of last month’s giveaway – a copy of Tara Lazar’s PARTY ANIMALS is….

***Tino Cho!!!!***

CONGRATS Tina! Please email me at [email protected] to claim your prize!

Jenna’s Bio:

Jenna Waldman is the author of the picture books, Purr-im Time! (Apples & Honey Press, 2023), Larry’s Latkes, and Sharkbot Shalom (Apples & Honey Press, 2021), and A Purr-fect Passover (Apples & Honey Press, 2025). Jenna is originally from Rhode Island, but now lives in the SF Bay Area. She shares her home with her husband, their two boys, and three felines. Visit her website for more www.jennawaldman.com and on Instagram @jennawaldmanauthor