The Matzo Ball Boy

by Lisa Shulman, Rosanne Litzinger (Illustrations)

On the morning of the Passover seder, a lonely bubbe decides to make a matzo ball boy to keep her company. Soon delicious smells waft from the bubbling pot, and when she lifts the lid to see if the matzo ball boy is done, out he jumps. “Oy!” she cries. “And where do you think you’re going?” “I’m off to see the world, bubbe,” he replies. Before long, a yenta and her children, a rabbi, and a fox are all on a mad chase to catch the matzo ball boy!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Jewish, Food, Holiday

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2005

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my gosh! This book cracked me UP!!! My family didn't think it was quite as funny, but maybe they didn't have the appreciation for the Yiddish words and attitudes. It feels like Yenta from Fiddler on the Roof..."Right? Of course right!" I just laughed the whole way through and the ending really made me laugh. I can just hear it in a Yiddish accent, "Who's to say what happened next? Maybe he fell. Maybe he was pushed. But that evening the man and his wife had a nice bowl of matzo ball soup." Ha ha ha!

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Cute!!! As someone who'd way rather eat matzah ball soup than a gingerbread cookie, I like this book way better than the original story. I think I read that in the form of "The Little Cookie," as a child. I love the way that you see different parts of shtetl life and you get to learn a few Yiddish words too!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for my kid who loves gingerbread man stories!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

great adaptation to the Gingerbread boy

[Stephen Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOL, this shit is so fucking funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Astoria (Jax) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!
It's like the gingerbread man but made for a Jewish audience.
The middle kid loved it and I had fun reading it to her.

[Krysta]

Give me all the Yiddish, matzo, and Bubbe’s Jewish guilt.

[Randi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun and so Jewish. I loved it.

[529_Quincy Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Matzo Ball Boy is the story of a Matzo Ball that runs away from his Bubbe. The Old Bubbe made him one day because she wanted some company. Matzo Ball Boy had other plans and quickly set off to explore the world. The story can be compared to the Gingerbread man in terms of plot, themes, and morals. The Matzo Ball Boy ends up in hot water because he does not lesson to the people trying to protect him, just as the Gingerbread man did. I think the addition of Jewish concepts and words to this construct is an excellent way to expose different people to their culture. I would imagine the addition of Jewish concepts and words in the story would also serve as a familiar reference point for Jewish kids, allowing them to relate to the story.
This story is appropriate for any age group and I would strongly recommend it to teachers interested in broadening their student’s horizon.

[Sandybear76]

A new twist on an old story. A Jewish lady is preparing for Passover and decides to make herself a matzo ball boy so she won't be lonely. But the little boy ran away, encountering many of Jewish neighbors as he runs away.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

New version of 'The Gingerbread Man' that has a surprise ending...

[Dawn Draper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quirky but fun. I am not sure how Jewish/Yiddish people would view it but it shows those of us who are not very familiar with the culture some aspects of it that are enjoyable.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I liked this book more than my daughter did! The illustrations had an Eastern European folk art feel, and I loved the occasional Yiddish words. I recommend this book highly.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Bothered me that it alternated between him being called Matzo Ball Boy and calling himself Matzo Ball Man.

Could be a super read aloud for the right reader!

[Mira Domsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A timeless classic retold. Simple enough for story time if the kids are a little older. And pretty funny if you're an adult who is familiar with Jewish culture and the original story.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passover's matzo ball boy is a Jewish version of the classic gingerbread man story

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rm 213

[Cleo]

A lovely picture book retelling of an old fairy tale, with a twist at the end.

[Monica Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute Passover retelling of The Gingerbread Man.

[Peder Haugsby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a nice little book about a child's imagination. Not great but would recommend!

[Bear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Jewish “gingerbread” story read as a part of my gingerbread around the World Series.

[Jennifer]

The Matzo Ball Boy is a spinoff of the commonly known tale, The Gingerbread Man. The book is about an “Old Bubbe” who decides to make a matzo ball so that she will not be lonely. However, her plan ends up going awry when the matzo ball boy comes to life. Then, the book follows her journey to get the Matzo ball boy back into her home. Through the incorporation of Jewish culture, the book creates a lively and unique experience for young readers. The light and fun atmosphere helps readers to gain and maintain interest in learning about various elements of the Jewish culture. The book also does a great job of highlighting a lot of cultural vocabulary and traditions. I would recommend the book to any child ages five to eight years old. The book tends to be more geared towards younger children, since it is quite repetitive in nature. Overall, the book is a fun read, especially for those who enjoy the original tale.