Review: My First Dino-Hanukkah

My First Dino-Hanukkah

by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Barry Gott

Carolrhoda Books (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024

Category: Picture Books

Reviewer: Ann D. Koffsky

Buy at Bookshop.org

Toddlers and the youngest readers will love Lisa Wheeler’s bouncy, spare story about dinosaurs celebrating Hanukkah, in My First Dino- Hanukkah. All the key ingredients are covered: latkes, menorah, and dreidels in rhyming impactful sentence that are sure to make for an inviting read-aloud. 

Barry Gott’s vivid, exuberant and colorful dinosaurs grin and dance as they go through each of the traditional rituals. I particularly appreciated the detail in Gott’s illustrations-especially that these dinosaurs have a sophisticated potato peeler that turns with a crank. (Potato peeling is always the toughest part of latke making, and I like the dinosaurs have found and easier way!) The Jewish representation of the holiday is accurate and charming. Children will find the dinosaurs highly appealing.

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Reviewer Ann Diament Koffsky is the author and/ or illustrator of more than 50 Jewish books for children. Her newest is PING PONG SHABBAT ( Little Bee Books) which tells the story of ping pong champion Estee Ackerman. Learn more about her work at www.annkoffsky.com.