The Passover Pet Surprise by Ana María Shua, illustrated by Ángeles Ruiz

• Publisher: NorthSouth Books
• Publication Date: March 3, 2026
• Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
• ISBN: 9780735846081

Jordanita and her family are spending Passover in Argentina. What she loves most is how many pets her aunt, uncle and cousins own.  When they get there, they spend time with all the animals. The turtles and dog join in on the water fight. Even the pet parrots are moved to the garden to watch the fun. The family gathers for Passover dinner and they talk about freedom. When Jordanita spots the birds, she thinks about freedom and knows just what to do. In the morning, when the parrots are missing, she has to admit what she did to her entire family, learning that taking care of animals can sometimes mean not letting them go free. 

Shua tells the story of this big merry Jewish family with such warmth and love. It’s like being invited to share their table with them. The jolly chaos of a holiday spent together is captured on the page both in the text and illustrations. Those illustrations are filled with small details and show clearly the diversity within their family. I particularly appreciated that there was no neat ending about the parrots returning to their cage.

A diverse title ideal for Passover collections. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

The Rare Bird by Elisha Cooper

• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Publication Date: February 24, 2026
• Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
• ISBN: 9781250364395

The Rare Bird was flying through the forest, knocking leaves off the trees. While the pictures tell a very different story than the text, a cat leaping through the living room. Rare Bird climbed on a rock, which was actually the dog. Rare Bird did all sorts of birdy things, which also in the real world matched cat activities. Even his dreams were filled with bird thoughts. At night, he was read a story about other animals and became an Elephant! 

Cooper brilliantly allows his text and images to directly contradict one another. Children will love seeing the ways in which the cat’s life and imagined bird activities overlap as curtains are ripped, boxes are napped in and the dog slumbers on. Cooper’s text is flatly narrative like a nature program while the images are jaunty and humor-filled. 

A delight of catty attitude. Appropriate for ages 3-5.