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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

Violin of Hope by Ella Schwartz, illustrated by Juliana Oakley Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Doreen Robinson Buy at Bookshop.org Violin of Hope tells the story of a Jewish family - Mama, Papa, and young children Itzik and Feiga. At night, Papa takes the violin, which hangs on a special hook, and plays beautiful music. Sometimes the music makes the children laugh and dance, sometimes the music makes them melancholy. When Itzik tries to play it, the sound is shrill, but Papa encourages him to practice. One night, before Shabbos, Papa plays and Mama sings along in Yiddish, but a pounding on the door interrupts the family’s joy. As the children hide behind Papa and Mama, a Nazi soldier snatches the violin. It’s tossed into a truck filled with pillaged items from Jewish homes. The violin is dumped into a damp cellar where it waits, in silence. Years pass, until one day, light pours into the cellar and a luthier retrieves the

Abzuglutely! Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug by Sarah Aronson, illustrated by Andrea D'Aquino Calkins Creek (imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers), 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco Buy at Bookshop.org Trying to describe feminist Congresswoman Bella Abzug isn’t easy to do in a few conventional words. It requires an expansive, energetic, bold, statement-driven narrative, which is what you get in Aronson’s fun and fact-filled book. Designed for young readers, it can "abzuglutely" be enjoyed by readers of all ages. To start, D'Aquino's visual style for the book communicates a lot. The vibrant color palette establishes little Bella in pinks and reds, already wearing a hat, which would become Abzug’s trademark, and already looking like she’s up to good trouble. The combined use of colored pencil, ink and crayon saturate the expressionistic illustrations with the kind of vigorous attitude Bella Abzug possessed. In addition to the engagi

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

Two Pieces of Chocolate by Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard Second Story Press, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Karen Shakman Buy at Bookshop.org Two Pieces of Chocolate tells the story of an act of kindness between a woman and a child in Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp at the end of the Holocaust. The story is ultimately one of survival and hope, despite the desperate circumstances of the characters. The author does not shy away from describing the conditions of the camp, including powerful sensory details, such as the smell of “rotting eggs and bad feet and human sweat”, and the sight of humans “stumbling past like sleepwalkers.” Thus, the author paints a picture of a dark time in history without sugar coating the circumstances. However, the story conveys how people, in the face of such inhumanity, may act with selflessness, as does the child when she encounters a fellow prisoner, late in pregnancy and terribly weak. This act of kindness is at the center of the

"My First Tanakh Stories" Avraham Teaches Others | Miriam Finds Her Voice | Eliyahu Finds Hashem | Ruth Makes a Promise by Shira Greenspan, illustrated by Rinat Gilboa Koren Publishers, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ronda Einbinder Buy at Bookshop: Avraham | Miriam | Eliyahu | Ruth | whole set In this series of rhyming board books, children are introduced to the Hebrew bible with four stories that bring characters from the Torah to life. The first book, Avraham Teaches Others , is written in rhyme and illustrated with green, yellow, orange, and blue pastels, telling the story of Avraham who helps three men who need food and rest. The three men bless him and Sara with a son.  The second book, Miriam Finds Her Voice , tells the story of Miriam who hides her brother in a basket, sending him down the river for safety. Pharaoh’s daughter finds the basket and raises the baby as her own. Eighty years pass and the slaves are set free. Miriam uses her voice to lead her pe

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

I Like Your Chutzpah, and Other Yiddish Words You'll Like written and illustrated by Suzy Ultman Rise+Penguin Workshop, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Eva Weiss Buy at Bookshop.org This pleasingly illustrated board book offers a playful way to introduce young children to twelve beloved and familiar words in Yiddish. Each Yiddish word, from punim to bubbeleh, is highlighted in transliterated English, with adept translations on every page. The colorful and whimsical images do justice in bringing a thousand-year-old language to life for twenty-first century families. The well-chosen words are pronounceable, though a few may require introducing new phonemes. In nearly all cases the words reflect the situations in which they would naturally be used in the life of a toddler. From mishpocha and seychel to mishogas and schpilkes, the words are illustrated with humor and whimsy in universal contexts. On her website, the author describes herself as a born storyteller, illustrator, pr

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

Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai by Alison Goldberg, illustrated by Jesse White Red Comet Press, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Denise Ross Buy at Bookshop.org A young girl named Sadie spends time with her grandma creating art when they have their special day together. Grandma is getting ready to graduate from art school and Sadie wants to give her the perfect gift. Grandma gave Sadie a chai charm necklace when she graduated from kindergarten. Grandma explained that chai means life in Hebrew and she wished for Sadie to have a life that is full of wonder. While Sadie and her family attend her cousin’s wedding, she is inspired to create a gift of eighteen flowers for her grandma’s graduation. The next day Sadie finds all the supplies and materials at home to make her gift: eighteen flowers that are special, just like her grandma. The story explains the meaning of chai with beautiful illustrations that show the reader the Hebrew concepts, and all the materials used to

The Light Keeper by Karen Levine and Sheila Baslaw, illustrated by Alice Priestly Second Story Press, 2024 Category: Picture Books  Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein Buy at Bookshop.org Shmuel’s family is poor and work is hard to find in their shtetl. Mama frets about feeding her six children and Papa searches for work to earn a few kopecks. Shmuel wishes he could help and is willing to do anything – except patching holes in the roof, as he is afraid of heights. It is into this setting that a cart arrives one day, with news that the men are there to bring electricity to the shtetl! Shmuel watches every moment he can, until the day the lights are turned on. Upon packing up, one of the workers shows Shmuel the boxes being left for repairs. One day the mayor appears at the door, pleading with Shmuel to repair the lights from recent storm damage. It is time to face his fear of heights. Hand over hand, Shmuel climbs to the top of a light pole and does what is needed. Thanks roll in, with gifts of f

A Mitzvah for George Washington by Rachelle Burk, illustrated by Chiara Fedele Creston Books, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Marcia M. Rosenthal Buy at Bookshop.org A Mitzvah for George Washington is a historical fiction picture book based on an authentic event. On August 17, 1790, Washington arrived in Newport, Rhode Island. The leader of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport prepared for Washington’s visit by writing a letter of gratitude to him for being a “guiding light to religious freedom.”    In this fictional story, the leader tells his daughter Bella that expressing gratitude is a mitzvah. She is so inspired by Washington’s advocacy for freedom of religion that she gathers the children of the Congregation to prepare signs to welcome and thank him. Upon his arrival, Washington is escorted by a large crowd, but the children are obstructed from his view. Undeterred, they make candles to give to Washington the next day, but the children are unable to see him. Bella’s final