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...

Lesléa Newman and Amy June Bates received a Sydney Taylor Honor in the Picture Book category for Gittel's Journey . They are both past Sydney Taylor Book Award winners, having received the gold medal in 2016 for Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed . Lesléa also has quite a few Notable Books to her name:  Here Is the World in 2015, A Sweet Passover in 2013, Runaway Dreidel in 2002, and Fat Chance in 1994. Even more special, Lesléa was named a Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award winner this year for her overall contributions to the genre of Jewish children's literature. You can see past Body-of-Work Award winners here . Who else do you think would make a good Body-of-Work Award recipient? Today on the blog tour: Gittel's Journey on Mr. Schu Reads All the Authors and Illustrators on The Children's Book Podcast The Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour February 9-13, 2020 Click here for full blog tour schedule