Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher Hardcover - 2010

One fine day, when Baxter was waiting for his bus, an old man sat down beside him and said, "Oh, I wish it were sundown right now."

"Why's that?" asked Baxter. He was a curious sort of pig.

"Because at sundown," said the old man, "the candles gleam and glow and dance while our sweetest voices lift in song!"

"They do?" asked Baxter. He had never seen a candle dance.

"Certainly," said the old man. Tonight is the beginning of Shabbat, the day of rest, and so we make a special dinner. We light the candles, sing our thanks, and raise a glass, surrounded by those we love best."

"Wow!" said Baxter. "That does sound like fun. That sounds terrific!"

"It is terrific," said the old man, as his bus pulled up. Then he was gone.


All week long Baxter thought about the old man's words.

"The candles gleam and glow and dance while our sweetest voices lift in song!"

So the following Friday, Baxter hurried back to the bus stop. But the old man was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Baxter found a younger man wearing a long white apron.

After a while, Baxter cleared his throat. "Ahem! I wonder, sir, do you know anything about Shabbat dinner?"

"I should hope so," replied the man in the apron.

"Oh, good," said Baxter. "Will you tell me how I can be a part of it?"

The man in the apron stared. "YOU? A pig? Part of Shabbat dinner? That's impossible!"

"Why?" asked Baxter.

"You're not kosher!" said the man in the apron.

"Kosher?" asked Baxter. "What's kosher?" But just then the bus arrived.

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, June 28, 2010:
"Snyder and Goldin go together like matzo balls and chicken soup: the bright, daffy prose and ebulliently goofy cartoon and photo collages will persuade readers that they don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Baxter's spiritual journey—which ends, happily enough, at the Shabbat table of a kindly rabbi. Yes, of course he's a guest. What did you think?"

Review, School Library Journal, August 1, 2010:
"Delightfully expressive and comical..."

Review, The Horn Book Magazine, September & October, 2010:
"In-the-know readers will be tickled pink by mensch Baxter...while the uninitiated will quickly catch on."

Review, Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2010:
"This will...find plenty of use in Jewish homes, particularly among families in which one parent is not Jewish."

Review, Curled Up With A Good Kid's Book (site), December 2010:
"The smart dialogue ... effortlessly educates readers about the Jewish holiday called Shabbat right alongside an adorable pig who shares the same goal ... charming story with equally charming illustrations ..."

LAUREL SNYDER is the author of Any Which Wall, Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains, and Inside the Slidy Diner. In addition to her books for children, Laurel has written two books of poems and edited an anthology of nonfiction called Half/Life: Jew-ish tales from Interfaith Homes. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and an occasional commentator for NPR's All Things Considered. Laurel lives in Decatur, Georgia.

DAVID GOLDIN has written and/or illustrated a number of picture books including Go-Go-Go!, Twisted Crosswords, Lost Cat, and Science Fair Winners: Bug Science. David lives in Willow, New York.