A Sweet Meeting on Mimouna Night

Set in Morocco, this sweet story of friendship and shared customs between a Jewish family and their Muslim neighbors provides a great introduction to the Moroccan Jewish holiday of Mimouna.

It’s Mimouna ― the Moroccan Jewish holiday that marks the end of Passover, and when blessings are given for a year of prosperity and good luck. Miriam wants to help her mother make the sweet moufletot pancakes they always eat at their Mimouna party, but after following the rules of Passover, they don’t have any flour in the house! So Miriam’s mother takes her to visit their Muslim neighbors, who are happy to share.

The women drink tea together, and Miriam makes friends with a young girl named Jasmine. Miriam almost drops the bag of flour when she and Jasmine go to fetch it from the storeroom ― but luckily Jasmine is there to catch it! Jasmine and her family then join Miriam’s family and friends to celebrate Mimouna.

This sweet story of friendship and shared customs will introduce North American readers to the Mimouna holiday. The book concludes with an author’s note and a recipe for making moufletot, the sweet, paper-thin pancakes featured in the story, so that readers can enjoy, too.

Key Text Features
recipes
author’s note

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

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Gr 1–5—When Passover ends, along with dietary restrictions, the Moroccan Jewish holiday of Mimouna begins, but where do observant Jews find flour at that time of night for the traditional and delicious moufleta? Miriam's mother responds to her daughter's question with a walk to the Muslim part of town, where they have tea with Jasmine, a girl Miriam's age, and her mother. After tea, Jasmine's mother sends them home with a bag of flour and is invited to the celebration. Preparations and the party ensue, quietly conveying the traditions of this holiday. As Jasmine repeatedly saves the day when Miriam keeps tripping, the shy girls shed their fears and become fast friends. The next Mimouna finds Miriam's family in Jerusalem, where she remembers Jasmine fondly. Ofanansky's text is dense but flows nicely. It conveys a lot of information while remaining accessible. In a mix of full- and half-page spreads, Teplow's illustrations depict wonderful facial expressions and add texture and life to the text, while her use of patterns, architecture, and colors effectively evokes Morocco. Despite the North African setting, everyone shown has pale skin, although yarmulkes, fezzes, and other head coverings abound. The back matter provides more loving details and a recipe. VERDICT The lesson of intercultural cooperation is subtle but compelling. This introduction to an important holiday and sharing will be a welcome addition to many collections.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Lib., Troy, NH REVIEW
This introduction to an important holiday and sharing will be a welcome addition to many collections.

― School Library Journal

[A Sweet Meeting on Mimouna Night] does an excellent job of showing the interconnectedness of kind neighbors to one another.

― A Fuse #8 Production Blog

This delightful story introduces the reader to a new community as well as a new holiday … The author and illustrator subtly pack large amounts of information into a gentle story.

― Association of Jewish Libraries

[A] sweet and simple story.

― Vancouver Writers Fest REVIEW
Praise for author Allison Ofanansky and illustrator Rotem Teplow for A Sweet Meeting on Mimouna Night:

“Mimouna com­mem­o­rates the new season’s sweet­ness with­in the cycle of the Jew­ish year, and the cross-cul­tur­al exchange mir­rored in the friend­ship between two girls. … high­ly rec­om­mend­ed.” ― Jewish Book Council

“Families unfamiliar with Mimouna will welcome the discovery. … A festive holiday celebration.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“[A] good addition to a library collection where children can learn about other holidays and cultures.” ― CM Review of Materials

“This introduction to an important holiday and sharing will be a welcome addition to many collections.” ― School Library Journal

“[A Sweet Meeting on Mimouna Night] does an excellent job of showing the interconnectedness of kind neighbors to one another.” ― A Fuse #8 Production Blog

This delightful story introduces the reader to a new community as well as a new holiday … The author and illustrator subtly pack large amounts of information into a gentle story.” ― Association of Jewish Libraries

"[A] sweet and simple story." — Vancouver Writers Fest

Praise for author Allison Ofanansky and illustrator Elsa Oriol for The Patchwork Torah:

“Surprisingly inventive and genuinely uplifting, this story beautifully and subtly ties together two key Jewish precepts: l'dor v'dor (generation to generation) and tikkum olam (repair the world).” ― Publishers Weekly

“Readers may close the cover thinking that a picture book ― like a Torah scroll ― can be essential.” ― Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Eliyahu Alpern for How It’s Made: Hanukkah Menorah by Allison Ofanansky, photographs by Eliyahu Alpern:

“This informative and engaging book is highly recommended for all ages as the explanations are simple enough to be understood by preschool listeners, although the content has substance and will interest older readers as well.” ― Jewish Book Council

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALLISON OFANANSKY was born in the US and moved to Israel in 1996, where she lives in the village of Kaditah with her husband, Shmuel, and daughter, Aravah. She has previously written the Nature in Israel and How It’s Made series, and The Patchwork Torah, illustrated by Elsa Oriol, which won the National Jewish Book Award. She works as an editor/translator and volunteers with various organizations working on behalf of community, ecology, social justice and women’s issues.



ROTEM TEPLOW lives and works in Israel. She graduated from Shenkar College of Design in 2016. Her recent books include The Eternal Soldier, written by Allison Crotzer Kimmel, and Two Bears: An Epic Journey of Hope, written by Patricia Hegarty. She also does illustration work for newspapers and magazines.

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Illustrator: Rotem Teplow

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