The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Hanukkah (Celebrations & Festivals series) by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Rotem Teplow Words & Pictures (imprint of The Quarto Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Dena Bach Buy at Bookshop.org Award winning author Lesléa Newman has gifted us a fine attempt at all-inclusive book to illuminate the celebration of the holiday of Hanukkah. With a few caveats, this book is a good place to start — full of history, traditions, recipes and rituals. It follows a child named Lior (a Hebrew name translated here as “my light”) when he and his family celebrate Hanukkah with their extended family and friends, and with their wider community. Their preparation begins with decoration, cleaning, descriptions of the Hanukah menorah (hanukkiah) and of the dreidel game, and a retelling of the historical story of Hanukkah. As the guests start arriving, laden with holiday gifts, they join the family in lighting their many hanukkiot and reciting the blessings (included in English and trans

The Light From My Menorah: Celebrating Holidays Around The World by Robin Heald, illustrated by Andrea Blinick Pajama Press, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Claire Freeland Buy at Bookshop.org As a young boy gazes at the light from his Hanukkah menorah, he embarks on a fantastical journey following its light around the world. Robin Heald’s beautiful, lyrical language describes fall/winter celebrations among different peoples, each centered on light. It’s a story of what connects us despite our differences. It encourages curiosity about different beliefs, different languages, and different customs. Along with the child in the story, the reader is shown the miracle and the universality of light.   The book opens and closes with the child joyfully celebrating Hanukkah with his family. There are no signs that the family is Orthodox, but the Hanukkah scenes are authentic with dreidels and sufganiyot. This book would certainly be shelved with Hanukkah books, but there are images f

Eight Sweet Nights, A Festival of Lights: A Hanukkah Story by Charlotte Offsay, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt Doubleday Books for Young Readers (imprint of Knopf), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Greer Buy at Bookshop.org A joyous introduction to Hannukah for young children. This delightful story follows a family consisting of a mother, father, son, and daughter celebrating the Festival of Lights together. They visit extended family, cook and eat latkes and sufganiyot, light traditional candles, play dreidel games, and open presents. Each page includes a small caption explaining traditions and words that may not be familiar. At the end of the book, the complete Hanukkah story is told in an age-appropriate way along with information on what the word means and why it’s spelled in various ways. Also included is an overview of how and why Hanukkah is celebrated, discussing the many traditions depicted in the story. The parents and children are illustrated in a variety o

Hanukkah Pajamakkahs by Dara Henry, illustrated by Olga & Aleksey Ivanov Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org Hanukkah Pajamakkahs , with its adorably cute illustrations, is the story of Ruthie, who is delighted to receive Hanukkah-themed pajamas - “Pajamakkahs” – on the first night of Hanukkah. Ruthie wants to wear them for all eight nights of the holiday, but her parents want her to keep them “spotless” for the forthcoming Hanukkah party. Antics ensue as Ruthie (who has promised to keep them spotless) makes latkes – and gets streaks (but not spots) on her pajamakkahs, candle drippings (but not spots) on her pajamakkahs, strips of tape, sticky sufganiyot, sparkles, and squishes (but not spots) on her pajamakkahs. After all, if the oil in the Hanukkah story could last eight nights, certainly Ruthie’s pajamakkahs can, too. This rousing tale is hilariously illustrated with bright, bold colors depicting the adventur

Charley & Seymour's Hanukkah Miracle by Melody Howard Ritt, illustrated by Nia Gould Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org In this story, we meet best friends Charley Chipmunk and Seymour Squirrel. The pair does everything together, but in particular, they love to celebrate Hanukkah. When Charley forgets that he’s meant to bring candles to light the menorah, he finds lots of other things starting with the letter C instead. Younger kids will appreciate this subtle humor and the repetition of all the “C” items. Improvisation has the duo make do with oil, in a parallel to the Hanukkah miracle of old. This clever problem solving makes for a happy ending. This book is appropriate for the stated 4-8 age group, and indeed would serve as a good Hanukkah primer to non-Jewish readers as well. The characters are friendly-looking and there is much Jewish imagery in the art: gelt, menorahs, Stars of D

Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy Feiwel & Friends, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Jacqueline Jules Buy at Bookshop.org The device of long-lost identical twins reunited is delightfully employed by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy in this fun middle grade holiday novel. Holly and Aviva are two well-adjusted twelve-year-olds, comfortable with their status as adoptive daughters in their respective loving families. They both have a close relationship with a grandparent. This brings them both to Rowena Village, a senior center holding a December holiday pageant. Aviva, a born performer, enthusiastically volunteers, (at her Bubbe’s suggestion), to do a Hanukkah song. Holly reluctantly agrees to help backstage. They meet by accident at rehearsals and immediately bond as sisters. Aviva suggests that they switch places and surprise their families with a big reveal during the holiday pageant. Holly goes along, thinking that they will be discovered right away. However, both gir

Hanukkah Hippity-Hop by Barbara Kimmel, illustrated by Ana Zurita Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker Buy at Bookshop.org Hanukkah Hippity-Hop is a perfect board book for the little ones just learning about every Jewish child’s favorite holiday. Barbara Kimmel’s short, memorable rhyming lines will get the kids chiming in after a couple of readings. Each page celebrates a different aspect of the holiday: jelly doughnuts, latkes, the Maccabees and more. In the kinetic illustrations by Ana Zurita, a diverse group of kids practically jump off the page. They will have the readers hippity-hopping along with the story. The bright, saturated colors will be appealing to this youngest set of readers, and the smiles on the children’s faces are contagious. The expressive kitty adds to the fun. Of course, the Jewish content is on every page, and can be enjoyed by Jews of every stripe. Learning about Hanukkah, singing and

We Celebrate the Light by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple, illustrated by Jieting Chen RISE x Penguin Workshop (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org The concept of light, with its many facets, has long fascinated humanity. It's a theme that resonates across cultures and is at the heart of numerous traditions and celebrations worldwide. In this universal and uplifting book, We Celebrate The Light , we glimpse some of these light celebrations worldwide. The story moves from one light celebration to another, starting with Diwali and continuing with the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Bodhi Day, and ending with the Lunar New Year. Each holiday is defined very briefly on the story pages, plus there is a more detailed glossary for each holiday at the end of the book. The words describing each celebration form a lyrical poem of hope, unity, and togetherness. Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple h

Little Dreidel Learns to Spin by Rebecca Gardyn Levington, illustrated by Taryn Johnson Cartwheel Books (imprint of Scholastic), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Julie Ditton Buy at Bookshop.org Every Jewish child knows how frustrating it can be to learn how to spin a dreidel. Older kids make it look so simple, but it takes persistence to get the knack to make that dreidel twirl. But, how does the dreidel feel? Rebecca Gardyn Levington has spun a sweet story about persistence that is absolutely adorable and very funny. Little Dreidel wants to spin like her older cousins. She feels like giving up. But with love and encouragement from her Bubbie, she persists and eventually feels pride in her accomplishment. The author tells the story in clever, smooth flowing rhyme. She adds lots of humor with quotes from Hanukkah sources and one very cute pun. In the very first page, we meet "Little Dreidel, made of clay, at last is dry and ready!" I loved the cute illustrations by Tary

Uri and the King of Darkness: A Hanukkah Story by Nati Bait, illustrated by Carmel Ben Ami Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountain Publishing), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Doreen Robinson Buy at Bookshop.org As siblings Uri and Shir await Dad's arrival on a dark winter’s night, Uri ponders why his father is late. Mom assures Uri that Dad will come and together they’ll light the first candle for Hanukkah. Looking out the window, Uri sees shadows and envisions an enemy army with spear and shield approaching, a parallel to the Hanukkah story of King Antiochus. The story continues with Uri worrying and wondering about his Dad, while the enemy king of darkness approaches. In a nod to Judah and the Maccabees, Uri finds the courage to be brave, and together with Shir, they proclaim that they’ll fight to fend off the darkness. And then, the door opens and…surprise! Spoiler alert: it’s Dad with a yummy, sweet jelly-filled treat! The story ends with the family celebrating Hanu

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. Are

Gingerbread Dreidels by Jane Breskin Zalben, illustrated by Thai My Phuong Charlesbridge, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby Buy at Bookshop.org Every 15 years or so, the first night of Chanukah coincides with Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. When Max and Sophie learn that their family will celebrate Chanukah and Christmas at the same time with their Jewish and Christian grandparents, the siblings go to bed worrying if they will get as many gifts, a natural worry for young kids. They wake the next morning to a snowstorm and no grandparents, yet. To pass time, the family bakes--making the requisite mess, complete with blue and white and red and green sprinkles everywhere. As they clean up, both sets of grandparents arrive, and the family joyfully prepares their meal, with traditional holiday foods from both cultures. While dinner cooks, they play outdoors. Back inside, they light the menorah and sing "O Chanukah," and they light the Christmas tree and sing &qu

My Dreidel written and illustrated by Ann Koffsky Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Mirele Kessous Buy at Bookshop.org My Dreidel by Ann Diament Koffsky is a very short board book for the youngest readers (ages 0-3). The length and wording are just right for this younger set. A puppy attempts to spin a dreidel but needs a parent’s help to succeed, and the power of persistence prevails. The sound effects “Plop!” will engage the young readers who will enjoy spinning and throwing themselves down on the floor along with the puppy narrator. The side note about the meaning of the letters on the dreidel could have benefitted from including the actual Hebrew phrase. The book is an authentic portrayal of Jewish life, not adhering to any particular stream, although Haredi or Black Hat readers will probably not appreciate dogs wearing kippot as the main characters. A charming and simple Hanukkah book for the tots in your life. Are you i

Latke's First Hanukkah written and illustrated by Alan Silberberg Viking Books for Young Readers (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Suneby Buy at Bookshop.org While Latke’s First Hanukkah is Alan Silberberg’s first board book, it is not his first book for young children that combines food with fun. Through animated latkes and other holiday food characters and objects—including jelly donuts, chocolate gelt, spinning dreidels, and wrapped gifts, he includes highlights of the holiday: lighting the menorah for eight nights, welcoming friends, celebrating light, and even the applesauce versus sour cream latke topping debate. Simple counting, bright colors, and cheerful illustrations make for an inviting introduction to the Festival of Lights for little ones. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze?  Click here! Reviewer Elizabeth Suneby is an award-winning children's book author whose Jewish-themed titles

Mrs. Maccabee's Miracle by Elka Weber, illustrated by Amélie Videlo Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org Welcome to the Maccabee house. Five brothers are always misplacing their things, and look to their mom to locate the objects. Mom gently reminds them that items remain where they are left. This repeating theme will strike a familiar chord with both parents and children. As the story progresses, the situation in Modi’in worsens for the Jews when the Greek ruler, Antiochus, demands that Jewish life and practice cease. The Maccabee boys, like many other Jews, continue to study Torah and practice Judaism in secret. When the great battle between the Jews and Greeks ensues, Mama Maccabee’s lessons about locating lost items is an integral part of the Hanukkah miracle. It’s wonderful to see a woman of importance play a part in a story that’s usually male centered. Illustrations by Videlo help mak

An Extraordinary Dreidel: A Hanukkah Story from Israel by Devorah Omer, illustrated by Aviel Basil, translated by Shira Atik Green Bean Books, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel Buy at Bookshop.org The Extraordinary Dreidel is a fun and engaging picture book about Hanukkah for young readers.  Devorah Omer is one of the legends in the Israeli kidlit book world. I grew up reading many of her exquisite stories, and The Extraordinary Dreidel is no different. What seems to be, at first glance, straightforward language and plot turns out to be a story that provides a level of sophistication that gets children’s attention from the start and engages their curiosity and independent thinking while igniting their imagination. When Uncle Haim makes a soccer ball-sized wooden dreidel for Gil and Nurit, the excitement level rises, but when they find out that there is a secret compartment under the letter nun, the children are beyond themselves. The reader follows along and t

The Mexican Dreidel by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Ilan Stavans, illustrated by Maria Mola Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Suzanne Grossman Buy at Bookshop.org Celebrate Janucá (Hanukkah) in Mexico with Danielito as he visits his grandmother for the holiday. When he adds his dreidel to the neighborhood game of spinning tops, friendships grow, bridging the cultural divide between Danielito and the children who are celebrating Christmas. His dreidel rallies all the tops and leads them on a wild race allowing the reader to see daily life in the village. With Spanish words and phrases sprinkled naturally throughout and needing no translation, young readers will feel as if they are walking in the town. After Danielito invites his new friends to his grandmother's home to celebrate with menorah lighting, latkes, and donuts, plans are made to play again the next day. It's refreshing to see the children being naturally curio

Where Do Diggers Celebrate Hanukkah? by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrated by Christian Slade Random House Books for Young Readers, 2023 Category: Pictures Books Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org The rhyming verses of this board book are fun to read aloud. There is no plot, and the title question is not answered, but that does not matter when you see cherry pickers in a line holding up lighted candles to form a menorah. Christian Slade's illustrations of heavy equipment in different locations are cheerful and colorful, very appropriate for preschoolers. This book is suitable for young children up to age 6, especially those who like trucks. There is Hanukkah content on every page, so it is integral to the story. The Diggers are a series of board books featuring friendly construction vehicles that--in other books--sleep at night, go on vacation, say I love you, and celebrate Christmas and Easter. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze?  Click

A Wild, Wild Hanukkah by Jo Gershman & Bob Strauss, illustrated by Jo Gershman Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker Buy at Bookshop.org This book is a lovable rhyming tale of different wild animals invading a home each night of Hanukkah. The rhymes roll off the tongue with wonderful alliteration, sure to delight children. The illustrations are mesmerizing, with large depictions of animals seemingly jumping off the page. They remind me of Maurice Sendak’s “wild things,” though Gershman uses brighter and more vibrant colors. Perhaps the authors are giving a nod to Where the Wild Things Are in their choice of book title? The illustrations also add a fun element to the narrative. Have you ever seen a tiger juggling eggs or punk-rock penguins spinning dreidels? There are pages with no text at all, perfectly appropriate where the illustrations pull the reader right into the story. The Jewish content is relate

Eight Nights of Lights: A Celebration of Hanukkah by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Hilli Kushnir Harper (imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Nine small candle-shaped paper booklets are nestled into a menorah-shaped holder in a large folder, in this Hanukkah toy/story. The Shammash booklet contains the lyrics to the traditional song "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" and shows a diverse group of celebrating children. Other candle booklets are labeled "Night 1" and so on, meant to be read in order. The front of each booklet shows an unlit wick; the back shows a candle aflame; if one story is read each night of Hanukkah, it can then be flipped over to light the menorah. The cover includes directions and a brief history of the holiday. Each booklet contains a short story about Lena, a biracial Jewish girl who has a white father and a brown Latine mother. She celebrates various aspects of the holiday w