Parents' Guide to Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure

Book Rebecca Gardyn Levington Picture Book 2024
Afikomen, Where'd You Go? book cover: Kids look for Afikoman, a little matzo character, who's hiding on a treehouse roof

Common Sense Media Review

Regan McMahon By Regan McMahon , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

Beloved Seder tradition becomes fun visual game for readers.

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What's the Story?

AFIKOMAN, WHERE'D YOU GO? brings to life the Passover holiday tradition of hiding a matzo for kids to find during the Seder dinner. In this telling, the matzo, known as Afikoman, is a live, sneaky, mischievous character who runs and hides in various places inside and outside the house as the kid narrator repeats, "Afikoman? Afikoman? Where'd you go?" A kid finally catches him. But wait: Does he make one last daring escape?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

This lighthearted holiday story is fun visually and mildly suspenseful as kids work hard to find the clever matzo who stays one step ahead of them ... until he's finally caught. Part Where's Waldo?, part The Gingerbread Man, Afikoman, Where'd you Go? keeps readers guessing on every page, right along with the kids in the story. It's genuinely challenging to find him on each spread.

The context of a loving extended family enjoying a centuries-old religious ritual—the Seder—is warm but geared to those already in the know. There's no explanation of Passover or the Seder dinner or the symbolism of matzo in recalling the Jewish people's hasty flight from captivity in Egypt. It'll be up to parents, caregivers, teachers, etc., to fill in those gaps as needed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the Seder tradition shown in Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure. Do you have this tradition in your family? What memories do you have of hunting for Afikoman?

  • Why do families celebrate Passover? What does matzo represent?

  • Which was Afikoman's best hiding place, the hardest one for you to find on the page? What other hide-and-seek books do you like?

Book Details

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Afikomen, Where'd You Go? book cover: Kids look for Afikoman, a little matzo character, who's hiding on a treehouse roof

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