A Notes from the Windowsill annotated bibliography by Wendy E. Betts. Copyright 2005, 2006, 2007
Click on the book covers for more publisher's information or to order from Powell's Books.
A note to our readers: We guarantee that absolutely no payment is accepted from any bookstore, publisher, author or any other agency, for inclusion of a review in Notes from the Windowsill or for any special notice given to any book.
Last Updated 12/04/07
Biscuit's Hanukkah by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. Illustrated by
Pat Schories. HarperFestival, 2005 (0-06-009469-9) $4.99 board
Biscuit the puppy learns a little bit about celebrating Hanukkah as he
helps his little girl make a Menorah for her friends. Then they visit
their friends and enjoy watching the candles burn. This is a slight
but pleasant story that could be a good gateway for talking about
sharing different holiday celebrations. The brightly colored pictures
of Biscuit getting into paint and ribbons are amusing, and the final
illustration of the children and their dogs gazing at the burning
candles genuinely captures some holiday spirit. (2-5)
The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate by Janice
Cohn. Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth. Albert Whitman, 1995
(0-8075-1152-8)
$16.95
This picture book tells the true story of an inspiring event: when
windows
with Hanukkah menorahs become targets for rock throwers in Billings,
Montana in
1993, thousands of non-Jewish people put pictures of menorahs in their
windows,
dramatically reducing the number of hate crimes in their city.
Although this
telling is somewhat dry and didactic—and not helped much by
muted,
photo-realistic style illustrations—the story itself is so
compelling and
heartwarming it has its own power. (5-10)
Grandma's Latkes by Malka Drucker. Illustrated by Eve Chwast. Harcourt Brace, 1992 (0-15-200468-8) $13.95; Voyager, 1996 (0-15-201388-1)
The traditional story of the history of Hanukkah gets new life in this
simple,
enjoyable retelling. As Molly helps her grandmother make the Hanukkah
latkes,
Grandma explains how the holiday came to be, telling her granddaughter
that the
burning of the oils was a miracle, "just like the Maccabees beating
Antiochus,
and just like you, Molly. You're my miracle." The warm atmosphere
and
conversational style of the narrative help keep the story interesting,
while
the striking painted woodcuts manage to work equally well in
illustrating the
ancient and modern sections of the text. (4-8)
Papa's Latkes by Michelle Edwards. Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. Candlewick, 2004 (0-7636-0779-7) $15.99
In a winter sometime during World War II, Selma and her little sister
Dora help their father prepare latkes, for the first Chanukah since
their mother died, a few months before. At first Selma is too
grief-stricken to eat: "Papa's latkes shouldn't look like this. They
should look like Mama's latkes. Chanukah shouldn't be like this.
Three people in the kitchen instead of four." But Papa reminds her
that, "we can remember Mama. And we can make latkes and we can still
celebrate Chanukah. That is what Mama would want us to do." Edwards
uses flavorful dialogue to enliven the long, sad story, while
Schuett's oil illustrations bring out the sombreness and uncertainty
in the faces of the two girls, and the desperate cheerfulness of their
father as he tries to make the holiday a happy one. (5-10)
Light the Candles by Joan Holub. Illustrated by Lynne Cravath. Puffin, 2000 (0-14-056757-7) $6.99 pb
This "lift-the-flap" book has a flap for each night of Hanukkah, showing
children opening the door to relatives with presents, getting a gimmel
while playing with a dreidel, and messily enjoying the chocolate inside
their golden coins. Young children will likely enjoy the simple,
rather dull rhymes more than the adults reading to them, but there
are some nice depictions of family life. A particularly fun visual
touch is the many different menorahs the family lights, from a child's
menorah or friendly cats to a stylish row of Maccabees. (2-4)
Hanukkah Lights edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illustrated by Melanie Hall. HarperCollins, 2004 (0-06-008051-5) $15.99; (978-0-06-008053-2) $3.99 pb
This delightful collection of short Hanukkah poems manages to be both
simple enough for beginning readers and meaningful enough for readers
of any age. Here, in addition to tributes to the familiar pleasure of
the holiday--"Latkes for my friends./Latkes for my aunts./Latkes for my
uncles./Latke batter on my pants!"--are poems that remind us that
Hanukkah is about a light that "outshines darkness." The poems are
placed amidst informal scenes in pastels, a gentle backdrop for the
affecting words. (4-8)
Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat by Naomi Howland. Clarion, 1999
(0-395-89903-6)
Sadie and her four brothers live outside a tiny village in Russia, in a house so draft, "the wind whistled through it like a train going to Moscow." It looks like Chanukah will be cold and hungry this year, especially when Sadie gives all the wood she had gathered to an old woman. But her generousity is rewarded with a magical gift, a frying pan that fries latkes out of nothing! Each night of Chanukah, the family has more delicious, sizzling hot potato pancakes--until Sadie goes out on the eight night, warning her brothers not to touch the pan, which only she is supposed to use. But can you really trust four hungry children alone with a magic frying pan...?
It's unfortunately unclear whether this is a retelling or an original
story (it certainly has many traditional elements) but it's a lively
and amusing tale, with an appeal beyond its Chanukah associations.
The Old Russia setting if illustrated with graceful simplicity in
gouache and colored pencil. (4-8)
In the Month of Kislev by Nina Jaffe. Illustrated by Louise
August.
Viking, 1992; Puffin, 1995 (0-14-055654-0) $4.99 pb
Illustrated with striking, colorful woodcut-style pictures, this is an
engrossing retelling of a favorite traditional story, in which a
stingy man
sues a poor man because his children were "stealing the smell of his
latkes."
When the stingy man insists that the poor man pay him a fine, the wise
Rabbi
asks the townspeople to contribute their Hanukkah money, shakes it in
a bag,
and tells him, "We have paid for the smell of your Hanukkah latkes
with the
sound of Hanukkah gelt." Unfortunately the otherwise appealing
book ends with an overdone "true meaning of Hanukkah" resolution that
simply isn't convincing and may leave readers quite puzzled. (3-8)
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel. Illustrated
by Trina
Schart Hyman. Holiday House, 1989 (0-8234-0769-1) $15.95;
(0-8234-1131-1)
$6.95 pb
Among the endless historical retellings and ubiquitous latkes recipes
of most
Hanukkah books, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins stands out
like a
candle flame, an original and enchanting story about a wily man whose
ingenuity
saves Hanukkah from the goblins who haunt an old synagogue. Filled
with the
humor of trickster stories and some genuine horror, Hershel...
ultimately demonstrates the true meaning of Hanukkah: freedom.
Hyman's Caldecott Honor illustrations are delightful juxtapositions of
reality and fantasy, contrasting the carefully drawn Hershel with the
absurd yet increasingly chilling images of the goblins. (5-8)
The Magic Dreidels by Eric A. Kimmel. Illustrated by Katya
Krenina.
Holiday House, 1996 (0-8234-1256-3) $15.95
This playful reworking of an old folk tale gives it a Hanukkah theme.
When a
boy named Jacob drops his dreidel down a well, the goblin who lives in
the well
gives him a new one, a dreidel that spins out latkes. But when he
shows the
dreidel off to Fruma Sarah, the neighborhood busybody, she steals it
and gives
him an ordinary one in its place. The same thing happens when the
goblin gives
Jacob a dreidel that spins out Hanukkah gelt. But when the goblin
gives Jacob
a dreidel that spins out fleas, Fruma Sarah quickly sees the error of
her ways!
Kimmel's telling is too brusque, but listeners will enjoy this
humorous change
of pace from more traditional Hanukkah stories. Krenina's watercolor
illustrations use distinctive odd, sharp and curving shapes to create
an offbeat and appropriately magical atmosphere. (4-8)
Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah Nights by Leslie Kimmelman.
Illustrated by John Himmelman. HarperFestival, 1992 (0-6940-1437-0)
$6.95 board book
This simple introduction to Hanukkah shows one aspect of the holiday
being celebrated on each of the eight nights: on the third night, the
aunts chant the blessings, on the fourth night, the nieces spin their
dreidels. The theme is tied together by a menorah at the corner of
each two-page illustration, showing the proper number of candles for
each night. At first glance this book isn't very exciting
visually--straight inked lines give the watercolored characters a prim
and dowdy air--but there are some lively little details worth looking
at, especially the activities of the family's boisterous orange
kittens. (2-5)
A Great Miracle Happened There by Karla Kiskin. Illustrated by
Robert
Andrew Parker. 1993; HarperTrophy, 1995 (0-06-443426-5) $5.95 pb
A boy describes the first night of his family's Chanukah celebration,
shared
with his friend Henry, who "always has questions." This is a rather
unconvincing narrative which probably would've worked better in the
third
person, but it has the merit of raising issues not often found in
Chanukah
books: during her retelling of the Chanukah story, the boy's mother
tells them
that Mattathias was wrong to kill over the unfair laws, and after the
story the
whole family discusses whether or not they believe in miracles. The
retelling
is better than the book as a whole, and its accompanying watercolor
illustrations work much better than those for the modern scenes, which
are largely dull and expressionless. (5-8)
A Confused Hanukkah by Jon Koons. Illustrated by S.D.
Schindler. Dutton, 2004 (0-525-46969-9)$16.99
I'm thrilled to be seeing some children's literature backlash against the Christmasfication of Hanukkah in books like The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming. This "original folktale" makes similar points, with gentler irony and perhaps more accessibility to younger readers.
Set in the traditional Jewish town-of-fools, Chelm, the story begins with the villagers unable to remember how to celebrate Hanukkah while their Rabbi is away. A man named Yossel sets out for a nearby town "to find out what must be done," but naturally, being from Chelm, he goes the wrong way and winds up in the Big City, where he gets some very odd information about "the coming holiday." His fellow villagers are a bit surprised--"Trees? Fat men? I don't remember any of that!"--but conclude these must be the latest modern customs, so they proceed to chop down a tree, decorate it with matzo balls, wooden dreidels and shiny menorahs, and dress the fattest man in town in a fancy suit, calling him "Hanukkah Hershel."
Yet somehow, nothing seems right. "They had never seen Hanukkah Hershel before. And surely, if they had decorated a tree like this in the past, someone would have remembered. But Yossel had told them that other people did these things. And why shouldn't they celebrate the way others did? Still, now it seemed like this wasn't Hanukkah at all."
Luckily, just then the Rabbi arrives home, to tell them the story of Hanukkah and remind them of their true traditions. And "From that day forward it was said that the people of Chelm always remembered how to keep Hanukkah."
Koons doesn't hit us in the face with his point, leaving the silliness of the story to speak for itself about the ridiculousness of mixing up two things that have very little relationship to each other. I would like to have seen a note on the history of Chelm in Jewish folklore and humor, and it would also have strengthened the the book to say more about the significance of the Hanukkah customs--eating foods fried in oil in memory of the oil lamp, for example.
This should go over well at storytimes, especially with a reader who's
good with dialogue, which is lively and plentiful. Pen & ink and
watercolor illustrations in a slightly caricatured style highlight
both the foolishness and the generally goodhearted nature of the
people of Chelm, adding to the humor and warmth of the story. (4 &
up)
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights by Jenny Koralek. Illustrated
by Juan Wijngarrd. Lothrop, 1990 (0-688-09329-9)
The Hanukkah story is told here in a solemn, ritualistic style, which
is well matched by dark realistic painting. Frames around each
picture help give the feeling of actually peering into a captured
moment of the past. (6-10)
Light the Lights written and illustrated by Margaret Moorman.
Scholastic, 1994 (0-590-47003-5) $12.95
One of very few pictures books about interfaith holiday celebrations,
Light the Lights is the story of a little
girl named Emma whose family happily celebrates both Hannukah and
Christmas.
Hannukah is visiting relatives, playing dreidel and eating latkes, and
watching
the glowing lights in the menorah, set by the living room window where
"all the
neighbors up and down the street could catch a glimpse of it."
Christmas is
singing "Joy to the World" with friends, cookies and hot chocolate,
and the
beautiful glow of the Christmas tree lights, turned on by Santa Claus
as he
left the presents. Although neither the text nor the bland, almost
textbook-style watercolor illustrations are particularly inspired, in
these
warm family and neighborhood scenes Moorman has captured some of the
essence of
what interfaith winter celebrations can mean—not so much the
teachings of
specific religions as a celebration of comfort, friendship and most of
all,
light in the darkness, the common thread of all solstice holidays.
(3-7)
Chanukah Lights Everywhere by Michael J. Rosen. Illustrated by
Melissa Iwai. 2001; Voyager, 2006 (0-15-205675-0) $6.00 pb
On each of the eight nights of Chanukah, a little boy counts lights for the number of candles his family lights. On the first night, "the skinny moon beams like a proud candle flame against the dark sky." On the sixth night, he counts six other menorahs in windows during a walk. On the seventh night, he visits a friend who celebrates Christmas and counts seven lights burning in his windows. And on the eighth night, he finds "all seven stars in the Big Dipper, plus the famous North Star above us, as though God, too, were lighting his own menorah in the sky. Even when Chanukah is over, he sees lights that remind him of their menorah and "I think about Chanukah and about being Jewish in such a wide world of so many other lights."
A sincere, earnest book with sincere, earnest illustrations,
Chanukah Lights Everywhere explores themes also seen in Rosen's
previous books like Elijah's
Angel: respect and appreciation amongst people of different
religions. This time it comes across as more messagey than
heartwarming, however. There are some playful moments, with lots of
cats popping up--one peers out between the narrator's legs in a busy
family scene--and the glow of bright lights amid sparkling blue skies
in the many night illustrations is warm and satisfying.
Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah by Sylvia A. Rouss. Illustrated
by
Katherine Janus Kahn. Kar-Ben Copies, 1993 (0-929371-46-1)
Young Sammy Spider watches as a family celebrates Hanukkah, lighting
candles and giving their little boy a different colored dreidel each
night. "Mother, do you think I could have a blue dreidel to spin?" he
asks. But each night, his mother replies, "Silly little Sammy,
spiders don't spin dreidels. Spider's spin webs." But Sammy gets a
special surprise from his mother on the last night of Hanukkah: 8
different colored socks, with a little dreidel spun on each one.
Finally Sammy gets to spin dreidels, the way a spider should. This is
a cheerful mix of holiday story and concept book, with slightly crude
but colorful cut-paper illustrations. (2-5)
Hanukkah! by Roni Schotter. Illustrated by Marylin Hafner.
Little,
Brown, 1990; 2003 (0-316-77623-8) $6.99 board book
Unlike most books about Hanukkah, this ebullient story is not
informative:
rather, it tries to capture the spirit of fun and family togetherness
created
by a Hanukkah celebration. Although the half-rhyming, staccato text
is not
ideal for reading aloud, and the illustrations are not distinctive,
the cheerful warmth of the book is infectious. Winner of the National
Jewish Book Award. (2-4)
The Flying Latke by Arthur Yorinks. Illustrations by Willim Steig; photo illustrations by Paul Colin and Arthur Yorinks. Simon & Schuster, 1999 (0-689-82597-8) $16.95
A decidedly weird, and occasionally very funny story, in which an
arguing family accidentally turns an ordinary latke into a UFO
circling the earth. Photo collages of typical--or even
stereotypical--members of a large Jewish family are staged against a
background drawn by Steig (with some odd cameos by famous illustrators
Vladmmir Radunsky, Maurice Sendak and Steig himself.) Be sure not to
miss the back cover, for the hilarious "players" credits. (5 & up)
Hanukkah, Shmanukkah! by Esme Raji Codell. Illustrated by
LeUyen Pham. Hyperion, 2005 (978-0-7868-5179-9) $16.99
Several different threads of Jewish history--the first
Hanukkah, immigration to the United States and the fight for unions
and better working conditions in sweatshops--are all woven together
in a parody of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" that
is funny, touching, and far more grounded in business reality
than the original. Cranky old "Scroogemacher" does "not rush out and
get a big challah and bring it to the Gersteins" after his visits from the
Rabbis of Hanukkah Past, Present and Future, but he does treat his
workers a little better and listen to their demands when they go on
strike. If reading aloud, you will want to gear up your best Yiddish
accent to do justice to the text, which is lavishly sprinkled with phrases
like "That farshtunkener butcher sold me bad meat" and "Don't ask me
for alms. I put it in the tzedakah box already"; though the book
is long, the narrative is so flavorfully constructed, it's hard to
stop reading. (A glossary is included.) Illustrations in
mostly muted browns, reds and yellows are rather familiar images of Jewish
"types," which works in this context. (5 & up)
While the Candles Burn by Barbara Diamond Goldin. Illustrated
by Elaine
Greenstein. Viking, 1996 (0-670-85875-7) $15.99
Taking an unusual and interesting approach to Hanukkah stories, this
collection
features eight tales which aren't specifically about Hanukkah, but
which
express some of the traditional themes and meanings of the holiday.
As
introductions to the stories point out, Hanukkah is celebrated in
different
ways by Jews around the world: one of most interesting stories, an
original,
modern-day tale, is set at a bilingual Israeli/Arab school to express
a theme
of reconciliation and peace—a part of Hanukkah celebrations in
Greece.
(This school, Oasis of Peace, actually exists in Israel!) Goldin's
smoothly
crafted retelling of six traditional tales, plus two original stories,
skillfully combine lively details with an atmosphere of reverence.
The
scratchboard-style illustrations are warm and expressive; an
especially nice
touch are the eight different Menorahs which decorate the beginning of
each
chapter—each, of course, holding the appropriate number of
candles. *
(5 & up)
There's No Such Thing as a Chanukah Bush, Sandy Goldstein by Susan Sussman. Illustrated by Charles Robinson. Albert Whitman, 1983 (0-8075-7862-2)
An important and often ignored consequence of celebrating Hanukkah is explored with realistic humor in the short chapter book. "It isn't easy being Jewish at Christmas time", thinks Robin—and when your entire school is making ornaments and singing carols, it sure isn't. Robin is torn between despising Sandy Goldstein—a Jewish classmate who has a "Chanukah bush"—and envying her. Her longing to be part of the Christmas experience is satisfied when her grandfather tells her, "There's a difference between celebrating something because you believe in it, and helping friends celebrate something because they believe in it"—making it okay for her to spend Christmas day with her friend Heather, after Heather has celebrated Hanukkah with her.
Not surprisingly, the book ducks some of the more complicated,
philosophical
issues about public celebrations of Christmas, and I disliked the
implication
that the heavy focus on it in school is okay. And, of course, Robin's
solution
to the problem is not for everyone. But it's an enjoyable book, as
well as a
fairly honest one. (7-11)
(No titles at this time.)
Hanukkah Fun by Judy Bastyra. Illustrated by Catherine Ward.
Kingfisher, 1996 (0-7534-5011-9) $4.95 pb
This crafts book features somewhat more difficult and sophisticated
crafts than
others of similar type (and title.) Some of the interesting projects
are
painted candles, a lamp to use with scented oils and a surprise cake
that
spills out chocolate coins when it's cut. Even adults might enjoy
trying some
of these creative ideas. Supervision is required for some projects;
safety is
emphasized. * (7-12)
The Hanukkah Book by Marilyn Burns. Illustrated by Martha Weston. Macmillan, 1981 (0-02-716140-4)
This nonfiction book is an honest and straightforward examination of
the
meaning of Hanukkah, with a special section on how Jewish children can
examine their feelings about Christmas. Both informative and
thought-provoking. (8 & up).
Chanukah Fun by Toli Marcus Minelli. Illustrated by Stewart
Walton.
Tupelo, 1994 (0-688-13560-9) $6.95 pb
This activities book of Chanukah crafts and projects adds a little
spice to the
traditional celebration, with instructions for creating unusual
menorahs,
special decorations and Chanukah related games and puzzles. Many
pages of
stencils and cut-outs are included. Useful and fun. (6-12)
Songs of Chanukah compiled by Jeanne Modesitt. Illustrated by
Robin
Spowart Little, Brown, 1992 (0-316-57739-1)
Very pretty (though unexpected), soft-focus pictures of rabbit-people
illustrate this attractive picture book/songbook, which includes both
traditional and contemporary Hanukkah songs. Each song is accompanied
by text
which explains the historical background of Hanukkah and its
traditions.
Scored for piano and guitar, with Hebrew lyrics included. (3 &
up)
Hanukkah, Festival of Lights by Jeff O'Hare. Illustrated by
Arthur
Friedman and Mary F. Rhinelander. Boyds Mill, 2000 (1-56397-907-1)
$7.95 pb
A cheerfully illustrated collection of games and crafts projects,
including rebuses, homemade dreidels and menorahs and maccabee bowling.
This seems to be an expansion of Hanukkah Fun edited by Andrea
Weiss. (see below.) (3-10)
Hanukkah Fun edited by Andrea R. Weiss. Illustrated by Mary F.
Rhinelander. Boyds Mill, 1992 (1-56397-059-7) $4.95 pb
Handy for parents or teachers, this crafts booklet offers some easy
ideas for
Hanukkah decorations, games and homemade gifts. Along with the
familiar
projects like dough menorahs (and 3 other kinds), there are some more
unusual
suggestions, like a "star of David" glitter mobile, a Hanukkah jigsaw
puzzle
and a dreidel note pad. Actually, one of the things I noticed about
this book
is how easily many favorite crafts can be tailored to a Hanukkah
theme. Some
of the projects require adult assistance or supervision for younger
children.
(5-12)
Back to the Notes from the Windowsill Bibliography of Jewish Children's Books.
Back to the Notes from the Windowsill Home Page.