Asteroid Goldberg and her family won’t be able to land their spaceship in time for Passover, and the grown-ups are clueless about what to do next. Not Asteroid: she shoots all the chametz into space and then steers the ship around the Milky Way: to Jupiter, where the moons turn out to be lighter-than-air matzo balls (luckily, the Big Dipper is really a ladle) and then to Saturn, where the rings have the satisfying crunch of matzo. Relatives gather from various planetary outposts; they drink “from a space-kiddush cup/ while zero gravity leaning,” writes Sayres, and look for the afikoman (hidden in the head of the family’s robot dog). Rainey’s redheaded protagonist and good-natured cartooning have an animation-style energy and eagerness; readers may notice that the drawings’ softly mottled textures are reminiscent of matzo itself. The lesson is clear: Passover is wherever you hang—or float—your hat." --Publishers Weekly

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For the little astronauts in your home, “Asteroid Goldberg: Passover in Outer Space” takes kids on a fantastic voyage to celebrate the holiday in space. The debut picture book of this new publisher, Intergalactic Afikomen (how appropriate?), asks kids to imagine what seder might be like in outer space. First the family must clean the floating chometz on the spaceship. Next they scoop up matzo ball moons from Jupiter. Which guests will they invite? With Brianna Caplan Sayres’ lively rhyme and Merrill Rainey’s interstellar illustrations, imaginations will soar. --Jewish Standard
 

Rainey’s large, animated illustrations are a laugh-out-loud blast as Asteroid and her family fly around the zero gravity seder table. Even the matzah balls float. Relatives pop in from Mars and Venus. A back page includes a glossary and a link for information on Jewish astronauts. -----JTA

 

For those kids who are drawn to outer space stories, this over-the-top rhyming tall tale featuring a family of Jewish astronauts may fit the bill... The lively illustrations are fun and goofy (especially the space dog) and so is the story. --Jewish Journal

 

Why is this Passover book different from other Passover books? Because the Goldberg family celebrates Passover in outer space!... An imaginative take on the traditional preparation for and rituals of Passover, the lively illustrations are perfect for the story...Young readers who have some understanding of the holiday and of space travel will have a blast with this one. --AJL News and Reviews

 

Get ready for a Passover Seder unlike any other. When Asteroid and her family get stranded in space on their way home from Pluto, they rally together to creatively observe time-honored customs. Staying true to tradition while feasting is kind of tricky in zero gravity where the only ladle around is the Big Dipper, but it's also lots of fun, especially with the help of colorful friends willing to try a little something different.--Pallas Gates McCorquodale "Foreword Reviews"

 

"Asteroid Goldberg: Passover in Outer Space is a children's picturebook about a space-traveling Jewish family, the Goldbergs, who celebrate the Passover holiday while flying home from Pluto! Although the rhyming story is science fiction, it is deliberately in keeping with traditions of the seder, and features a glossary of terms related to the Passover celebration. Asteroid Goldberg: Passover in Outer Space is a delightful picturebook, and a choice pick for Jewish families to read aloud and share with their children. Highly recommended." --Midwest Book Review

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"...There are a lot of Passover picture books, but this one definitely rises to the top. It is light and fun, telling a story that most Jewish children have heard many times, in a totally new and engaging way. I can see this becoming a Passover staple in Jewish schools and households with children aged roughly 3 to 8. It is also a fun opportunity to discuss the first person to celebrate Passover in space: NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman. Asteroid Goldberg certainly deserves consideration for the Sydney Taylor Book Award..." Sydney Taylor Schmooze

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"Sayres’s 40-page holiday picture book will deliver just the right blast of humor and read aloud rhyme... 

The clever way our plucky heroine finds all the food on offer in outer space is just one of the things children will enjoy when reading this far out story. The idea of dining in an anti-gravity setting is such fun as is an intergalactic afikoman hunt. Rainey’s jewel-toned illustrations are cheerful and humorous, complementing this truly creative Passover tale." Good Reads with Ronna

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