W.H. author illustrates first Passover in children’s book

When Passover officially begins on April 14 this year, Ann Koffsky, 42, a West Hempstead-based illustrator and writer, hopes that plenty of young children will learn about the holiday’s traditions with the help of her new activity book, “Frogs in the Bed,” which traces the story of the first Passover with some fun crafts and games along the way.

Koffsky, who attended the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County in West Hempstead, said she based the book on an old Passover song of the same name that most Jewish children learn in nursery school. The song, which was composed by Shirley Cohen Steinberg in 1958, tells the biblical tale of ten plagues inflicted on the Pharaoh of Egypt, one of them being a swarm of frogs that are released into his city, until he frees the enslaved Israelites.

When she launched this project about five years ago, Koffsky contacted Steinberg to write the tune’s music into the book while she developed its colorful illustrations. Two years later, Koffsky began drawing up illustrations for the book while attending Book Expo America in May at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The book, which was published by Behrman House Publishers at the start of this year, also features activities such as hidden pictures, mazes, a comic strip that illustrates the story of Seder and a template for making jumping frogs out of Styrofoam cups and rubber bands.

Knowing that few whimsical songs about Jewish subjects are available to children in Hebrew school, Koffsky said she chose to create this activity book as a resource for them to learn about their Jewish heritage, particularly the origin of Passover, in a compelling way.

“The main goal is just to have a happy taste of the holiday,” she said. “If they walk away from the table with a positive feeling from rituals and holidays, then that’s really a success.”

Since the book’s release earlier this year, Koffsky said she has received much support from the local Jewish community, whether in Mazel Tov messages via social media or from businesses such as Long Island Judaica in West Hempstead selling her book.

“There’s a moment of recognition when [people] see the book, so that’s kind of cool,” Koffsky said.

“Frogs in the Bed” is currently available for purchase online through Behrman House, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. For more information about “Frogs in the Bed” or Koffsky’s other works, visit her webpage at www.annkoffsky.com.