The Matzah Man

ISBN 0-618-11750-4

When Mr. Cohen, the matzah baker, shapes the form of a little man and bakes it, he isn’t prepared for what happens next. He opens the oven door and—ka-naidle, ka-noodle, ka-noo—out jumps the Matzah Man! After taunting Mr. Cohen, the little scamp leads a merry chase through the neighborhood, where people are preparing for the Passover meal, teasing everyone he meets. But when the mischievous Matzah Man arrives at the doorstep of clever Mendel Fox, he just may have met his match.

Many people have retold The Gingerbread Man story. Authors have turned that cookie into all kinds of food, a Russian bun, a tortilla, and a piece of cheese. When I started to illustrate The Matzah Man, I copied matzah on my copy machine to make matzah paper. Then I cut out matzah men and glued them onto my paintings.

Reviews

“The simple story has a pleasant Jewish flavor, and the gouache, collage, and pencil illustrations are well rendered and amusing. The Matzah Man runs right out of the frames on several pages, and he is constantly in motion, keeping the tale flowing.”
—School Library Journal

“Light-hearted Passover story.”
—Kirkus Review