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This book is a great spin off of the classic gingerbread man story and I found it very enjoyable. I loved that the author incorporated Yiddish words into the story, educating the reader on Jewish culture and tradition. The lines, "run, run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the matzo ball man!" is repetitive so even young readers can join in on the reading of the story. As the matzo ball man is on his journey, he experiences different aspects of Passover, such as the preparation of the matzah, the seder, etc. This is a great educational and fun book for primary grades. ( )

A fantastic Jewish tale that mimics that of the classic gingerbread story. The Matzo Ball Boy goes on quite an adventure with a number of others trying to catch him, but he touts, "Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm the matzo ball man!" The ending just might catch you by surprise. A helpful author's note follows the tale to detail Passover, the Jewish holiday that the story is centered around which includes a description of matzo balls. This author's note also include a helpful glossary of each Jewish term utilized throughout the story. The illustrations are the perfect complement to the author's work providing added emotion and value to the story. This would be a great text to use with students grades 2-5. It could be used as a paired reading selection in a social studies lesson on Jewish customs. Another curricular connection would be language arts where this tale along with the traditional gingerbread man story could be used to facilitate a lesson on compare and contrast. ( )

An old bubbe (the Yiddush name for grandmother) is cooking for Passover Seder, and creates a Matzo Ball Boy to keep her company. She opens the pot too early, and he jumps out to run away! This book is a spin off of the typical gingerbread story, and as a teacher you can read both tales during the holiday time! This story is a cute and entertaining twist on a familiar old tale. The illustrations in the story paired perfectly with the text and were silly and entertaining. I also loved how the author used a variety of Jewish terms but proceeded to define them within the text. This is beneficial for students who are not of the Jewish religion. I was also drawn to this book personally because Matzo ball soup is one of my favorite meals! The main idea of this book is to teach children about Jewish culture in a fun and engaging way. ( )

The Matzo Ball Boy, by Lisa Shulman, was another cute story that was created as a spin off from "The Gingerbread Man." One reason why I really enjoyed this book was the illustrations. I thought they were very fitting for the story because they were fun and silly just like the idea of a boy being made out of Matzo balls and running away. I also liked the multicultural aspect of it. The book is a representation of Jewish culture and traditions as it describes the Jewish holiday, Passover. The big idea of this book is someones desire for freedom and how it is never easy to obtain. ( )