More Than Enough
by April Halprin Wayland (Author) and Katie Kath (Illustrator)
Booktalk: The BIG Picture
In spare, lyrical prose, a Jewish family prepares for their Passover seder, visiting the farmer’s market for walnuts, lilacs, and honey (and adopting a kitten along the way!), then chopping apples for the charoset, and getting dressed up before walking to Nana’s house. The refrain throughout is “Dayenu”—a mind-set of thankfulness, a reminder to be aware of the blessings in each moment.
#kidlit Writing Lesson: the small details
As the story begins:
We wander the market
surrounded by colors–
dayenu
TURN THE PAGE
The word dayenu is repeated throughout the book. The poetic repetition in the refrain reinforces the concept and links each action in the story to the big idea:
We buy apples and walnuts,
lilacs and honey–
dayenu
The full meaning of the word dayenu is explained in the back matter and the Dayenu song is printed inside the back cover.
BONUS! Read an interview with April Halprin Wayland
Snippet: “I rewrote this 200-word story more than 34 times.”
Copyright © 2016 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
