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Description
"Very colourful and beautifully illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt, this paperback book teaches young readers the importance of being curious, and never giving up until an answer is given, but its core is the story of Passover, the Four Questions, and family traditions. Ideal for ages between 4-7 years, and a perfect Seder present." -- West London Synagogue Magazine
"Got a question?" asks Mom.
Definitely! I thought. "Who invented spoons?" I ask. "What kind of meal is a matzoh meal? Can spicy stuff make you breathe fire?"
In their apartment, the ever-inquisitive Sami is watching his mother prepare pot roast for the Passover seder. Noticing that both ends of the roast have been cut off, Sami wants to know why, but his mother can't give him an answer - only that her mother always did it. Determined to get to the bottom of this, Sami runs upstairs to his Grandma Shirley's apartment to ask her - amongst other things - the same question.
But Grandma Shirley can only give him the same answer as his mother: "Because that's how my mother always did it". Not giving up, Sami runs up one more flight of stairs to ask Great-Grandma Lee, who finally gives him an answer and encourages him to keep asking questions, no matter what.
This beautifully illustrated, light-hearted story has family and Jewish traditions - in particular Passover and the Four Questions - at its core. It teaches young readers about the importance of being curious, asking questions and not giving up until you find an answer.
"Got a question?" asks Mom.
Definitely! I thought. "Who invented spoons?" I ask. "What kind of meal is a matzoh meal? Can spicy stuff make you breathe fire?"
In their apartment, the ever-inquisitive Sami is watching his mother prepare pot roast for the Passover seder. Noticing that both ends of the roast have been cut off, Sami wants to know why, but his mother can't give him an answer - only that her mother always did it. Determined to get to the bottom of this, Sami runs upstairs to his Grandma Shirley's apartment to ask her - amongst other things - the same question.
But Grandma Shirley can only give him the same answer as his mother: "Because that's how my mother always did it". Not giving up, Sami runs up one more flight of stairs to ask Great-Grandma Lee, who finally gives him an answer and encourages him to keep asking questions, no matter what.
This beautifully illustrated, light-hearted story has family and Jewish traditions - in particular Passover and the Four Questions - at its core. It teaches young readers about the importance of being curious, asking questions and not giving up until you find an answer.
Product Details
| Publisher | Green Bean Books |
| Publish Date | June 12, 2025 |
| Pages | 32 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781784389161 |
| Dimensions | N/A |
BISAC Categories: Kids
About the Author
Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh is the author of multiple award-winning children's books, a lyricist for ad campaigns and films, and a writer for National Geographic KIDS and National Geographic Family. Thanks to Nat Geo, Jamie is aware of tardigrades, and suspicious of their planetary origin. She is a member of SCBWI, a graduate of Wellesley College, and she is conversational in French, Hebrew, and Felis catus (meow). Her newest titles include Explorer Academy: Future Tech (National Geographic) and Nerdlet: Tech (National Geographic).-Alcheh is the author of multiple award-winning children's books, a lyricist for ad campaigns and films, and a writer for National Geographic KIDS and National Geographic Family. Thanks to Nat Geo, Jamie is aware of tardigrades, and suspicious of their planetary origin. She is a member of SCBWI, a graduate of Wellesley College, and she is conversational in French, Hebrew, and Felis catus (meow). Her newest titles include Explorer Academy: Future Tech (National Geographic) and Nerdlet: Tech (National Geographic).
Menahem Halberstadt began to draw in school, scribbling in notebooks and creating funny creatures and characters. Since school, all of his work has been inspired by his interests as a creator, to create worlds of characters with emotions and stories. Halberstadt studied painting and drawing under the instruction of the famous Israeli artists Leonid Balaklav and Aram Gershuni. Following this, he studied animation at the Betzalel Academy and graphic design at Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem. Halberstadt works as an illustrator with a number of publishing houses in Israel. He lives in Israel with his wife and four children.
His other books for Green Bean include A Basket Full of Figs, In the Market of Zakrobat, and The Donkey and the Garden.
His other books for Green Bean include A Basket Full of Figs, In the Market of Zakrobat, and The Donkey and the Garden.
Reviews
"'In this light-hearted story, a young boy sets out to discover why his mother trims off the ends of the pot roast she cooks for their Seder. He dashes through their apartment building to his grandmother and great-grandmother, who solves the mystery and encourage him to keep asking questions. He feels a deep connection with his multi-generation family when they gather around the Seder table."--Penny Schwartz "Jewish Journal of Boston"
"The Curious Case of the Pot Roast by @jkiffel is a clever re-telling of an old joke about the Jewish habit of treasuring customs and traditions so much that we forget to ask 'why.' Three generations of women cut the ends off the pot roast, but only the great-grandmother knows the reason: she had to do it to make the roast fit in her pan. The child in this picture book version exhibits a curiosity about all things, including every Passover tradition, reminding us to look deeper. I think this is one of the very best PJ Library books we've ever received - encore readings right away!"--yidlitkidlet (Instagram)
"Dynamic, joyful illustrations support the protagonist's determined search to ask until he finds the right answer. Passover is not our hero's only source of curiosity; he has many secular questions to ask each relative as well. Readers gain knowledge of who invented spoons and who lived at the top of the Eiffel tower as they seek clues along with the young narrator of this lighthearted story."--Ellen G. Cole "Jewish Book Council"
"One of the big frustrations with holiday stories is their limited scope. No matter how wonderful they are, they don't often get read outside of the holidays they're about. BUT... then you get a book like The Curious Case of the Pot Roast: a Passover Mystery (2025). While this energetic, laugh-out-loud story follows a family getting ready for Passover, it's written in a way that really brings to mind any sort of holiday or celebratory preparations with family, and because of that would be a fun read year round."--noodlenutskidsbooks (Instagram)
"Why is this book about the Mah Nishtanah different from all other books about the Mah Nishtanah? Because The Curious Case of the Pot Roast by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh (Green Bean Books) takes the zaniest roundabout route to the question of why we ask four questions at Pesach. The young protagonist bombards his family with esoteric queries. Who invented spoons? What kind of meal is matzah meal? And why oh why does his mother cut both ends off the Passover pot roast? To some enquiries he learns some quirky facts - Ancient Egyptians invented spoons, for instance. But to solve the pot roast mystery the curious kid needs to interrogate his grandmother and great-grandmother. The result is a brilliant, subtle exposition of the handing down of tradition and the importance of reflecting on the new relevance of Judaism to each generation. And watch out for illustrator Menahem Halberstadt's fabulous visual jokes."--Angela Kiverstein "The Jewish Chronicle"
"The illustrations are inviting and cheerful and reinforce the family camaraderie and warmth that are at the heart of a riddle that is probably familiar to the adults who will read aloud this tale... This book sheds light on values of Jewish culture that are both particular and universal. It may appeal to varied denominations and is also accessible to non-Jews."--Eva Weiss "SydneyTaylorShmooze.com"
"Very colourful and beautifully illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt, this paperback book teaches young readers the importance of being curious, and never giving up until an answer is given, but its core is the story of Passover, the Four Questions, and family traditions. Ideal for ages between 4-7 years, and a perfect Seder present."--Hilary Schuman "West London Synagogue Magazine"
"The Curious Case of the Pot Roast by @jkiffel is a clever re-telling of an old joke about the Jewish habit of treasuring customs and traditions so much that we forget to ask 'why.' Three generations of women cut the ends off the pot roast, but only the great-grandmother knows the reason: she had to do it to make the roast fit in her pan. The child in this picture book version exhibits a curiosity about all things, including every Passover tradition, reminding us to look deeper. I think this is one of the very best PJ Library books we've ever received - encore readings right away!"--yidlitkidlet (Instagram)
"Dynamic, joyful illustrations support the protagonist's determined search to ask until he finds the right answer. Passover is not our hero's only source of curiosity; he has many secular questions to ask each relative as well. Readers gain knowledge of who invented spoons and who lived at the top of the Eiffel tower as they seek clues along with the young narrator of this lighthearted story."--Ellen G. Cole "Jewish Book Council"
"One of the big frustrations with holiday stories is their limited scope. No matter how wonderful they are, they don't often get read outside of the holidays they're about. BUT... then you get a book like The Curious Case of the Pot Roast: a Passover Mystery (2025). While this energetic, laugh-out-loud story follows a family getting ready for Passover, it's written in a way that really brings to mind any sort of holiday or celebratory preparations with family, and because of that would be a fun read year round."--noodlenutskidsbooks (Instagram)
"Why is this book about the Mah Nishtanah different from all other books about the Mah Nishtanah? Because The Curious Case of the Pot Roast by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh (Green Bean Books) takes the zaniest roundabout route to the question of why we ask four questions at Pesach. The young protagonist bombards his family with esoteric queries. Who invented spoons? What kind of meal is matzah meal? And why oh why does his mother cut both ends off the Passover pot roast? To some enquiries he learns some quirky facts - Ancient Egyptians invented spoons, for instance. But to solve the pot roast mystery the curious kid needs to interrogate his grandmother and great-grandmother. The result is a brilliant, subtle exposition of the handing down of tradition and the importance of reflecting on the new relevance of Judaism to each generation. And watch out for illustrator Menahem Halberstadt's fabulous visual jokes."--Angela Kiverstein "The Jewish Chronicle"
"The illustrations are inviting and cheerful and reinforce the family camaraderie and warmth that are at the heart of a riddle that is probably familiar to the adults who will read aloud this tale... This book sheds light on values of Jewish culture that are both particular and universal. It may appeal to varied denominations and is also accessible to non-Jews."--Eva Weiss "SydneyTaylorShmooze.com"
"Very colourful and beautifully illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt, this paperback book teaches young readers the importance of being curious, and never giving up until an answer is given, but its core is the story of Passover, the Four Questions, and family traditions. Ideal for ages between 4-7 years, and a perfect Seder present."--Hilary Schuman "West London Synagogue Magazine"
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