The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Hanukkah Nights written and illustrated by Amalia Hoffman Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Arlene Schenker Buy at Bookshop.org This is an unusual Hanukkah board book. It is mostly visual, with intriguing, colorful designs on black pages that let a child’s imagination wander freely. On the left side of each spread we see a different artistic technique (spattered paint, chalk doodles, and so on) representing a candle flame. On the right we see the candles topped with these unique flames. The nights are counted from one to eight with a simple two-line rhyme for each. The book concludes by showing a menorah filled with all of the artistically lit candles, followed by a scene of the child artist surrounded by art supplies. Then comes a bonus for kids who love to create: instructions on how to reproduce each of the freestyle flame designs in the book with paint, pencils, chalk, and household items like an eyedropper, a plastic

Hanukkah at Monica's  written & illustrated by Varda Livney PJ Publishing, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rinat Hadad Siegel We have all attended Hanukkah parties, but parties with an octopus, a jellyfish, and a pirate as guests are quite rare. Varda Livney has so much fun in this clever and imaginative picture book. The story begins with child-friendly illustrations where we see a cheerful dark-skinned girl, Monica, pushing a shopping cart filled with russet potatoes (the ones recommended for latkes, by the way…). We learn that Monica is having a party for Hanukkah, but not with typical guests. Each guest is a clever twist on a Hanukkah custom. The octopus and its eight arms brings the Menorah. The pirate brings in gold coins, and the jellyfish carries in jelly donuts. Livney uses repetition, allowing young readers to guess who the next guest will be, offering a hint with an illustration of the guest's shadow on the door. The climax of the story relates to the Hanu

Eight Bright Nights by Hindy Spitz, illustrated by Jessica Liu Hachai, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld With all the attention on diversity in children's books in general, and here at the Shmooze on Jewish books in particular, the fact remains that Orthodox Jewish practice is generally underrepresented...no matter the identity characteristics of the adherents. Attention must be paid, as Arthur Miller said, particularly because it is projected that by 2060, Orthodox Judaism will be the largest Jewish denomination in America. It's a way of life with consistency; that way of life is beautifully reflected in Hindy Spitz's book about Chanukah, Eight Bright Nights , with accurate, authentic, and often touching art by Jessica Liu. Chanukah -- that's the spelling Spitz adopts -- is a minor festival on the calendar. Spitz takes us through it in charming rhyme, never overestimating the holiday's importance (boosted for many of us by its calendar placem

Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds Razorbill (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Evonne Marzouk   Buy at Bookshop.org   Hannah Reynolds’ newest novel, Eight Nights of Flirting , tells an enjoyable story about a girl finding love and finding herself. Sixteen-year old Shira Barbanel is warm and loving with her large Sephardic Jewish family, but often struggles to build close friendships and connect with love interests. She definitely does not want to connect with eighteen year old Tyler, who humiliated her several years before. But unexpectedly alone together in her grandparents’ Nantucket house for the first night of Hanukkah, Shira and Tyler strike a surprising deal. Tyler will teach Shira how to flirt with her current crush, Isaac, in exchange for an introduction to advance his career. This high society story takes place in snowy Nantucket over Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years’ Eve, indulging fantasies of wealth, access and elaborate par

The Hanukkah Hunt (Ruby Celebrates! series) by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov Albert Whitman & Company, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Sandy Wasserman Buy at Bookshop.org Two cousins discuss the upcoming Hanukkah holiday, but Ruby learns that her cousin Avital is sad. Nothing can cheer Avital because her mother has to travel for work and will be missing the holiday. But that's what cousins are for, and the entire family gets involved in cheering Avital. Ruby arranges a treasure hunt, and each day of Hanukkah, she comes up with a rhyming clue; Avital guesses and we see her smile. By the eighth day, Ruby has run out of ideas, but in a final twist, Mom comes home early, a gift that surprises and delights the whole family.  Hanukkah customs are woven throughout the story, which features features a diverse extended family: most members are white, but biracial Cousin Avital's Dad is Black, and Cousin Ethan has two moms. Backmatter explains the history

You're My Little Latke Written and illustrated by Natalie Marshall Silver Dolphin Books (imprint of Printers Row) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Mirele Kessous   Buy at Bookshop.org You’re My Little Latke is a Chanukah board book appropriate for children ages 0-3. Each page has a pair of Chanukah-related objects (menorahs, dreidels, latkes, etc.) depicted as parent and child. The narrator of the story, presumably the parent, is professing his/her love for their kinderlach . Endearing, bright pictures of baby menorahs and baby latkes are a crowd-pleaser, and toddlers who know something about the holiday will be excited to see their favorite parts of the holiday come alive. Although the text is age-appropriate, it is pretty generic and lacks the creativity present in the illustrations. In this reviewer's opinion, the author missed the opportunity to incorporate Hebrew words (for example, jelly donut is used instead of sufganiya). Nevertheless, if you are looking for a cute gi

Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Magical Menorah by Judy Press, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Mozer Buy at Bookshop.org Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Magical Menorah is part of an early middle grade series about a Jewish Brooklynite girl named Pinky (short for Penina) who solves crimes with the help of her annoying little brother Avi. This series is a good example of this genre. The story is fun and easy to follow. It would definitely be enjoyed by 6 - 8 year olds who enjoy mystery series such as A to Z Mysteries, Cam Jensen mysteries, or Ballpark Mysteries.    This book definitely has positive and authentic Jewish religious or cultural content and is appropriate for the intended grade level in style, vocabulary, format, and illustration. It’s great to see a mystery series for this audience with Jewish content.  Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze?   Cl

The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner, illustrated by Kevin Keele Charlesbridge Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Dena Bach Buy at Bookshop.org The Golden Dreidel , by fantasy author Ellen Kushner, is a re-issue of the 2007 book The Golden Dreydl , itself a novelization of the 2002 recording, stage show, and concert, of the same name by Kushner and the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra. Billed as “A Klezmer Nutcracker for Chanukah,” the recording, like the book, is a charming mash-up of the famous Tchaikovsky ballet with klezmer music and Jewish folklore.    The Golden Dreidel follows the plot of "The Nutcracker," with a dreidel that comes to life. The narrative begins when Sara, envious of her non-Jewish friends during the winter holiday season, reluctantly goes to her extended family’s annual Chanukah party. While Sara is playing a game of dreidel with her cousins, the mysterious Tante Miriam arrives at the party bringing gifts for all the children. At midnight, Sara’s gift

Hello, Hanukkah! written and illustrated by Susan S. Novich Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss Buy at Kar-Ben.com The eye-pleasing colors and collage illustrations of this holiday board book will appeal to toddlers and parents alike. In a note, author and illustrator Susan S. Novich explains her penchant for creating art with felt and scraps that other people would throw away. Hello, Hanukkah! features an appealing family of badgers, with a father and son who wear kippot. The young cub celebrates the holiday through rituals, perching himself on the number drawn on each page, counting the nights, and reciting the color of the candles.   The book light-heartedly covers many educational bases—blessings, songs, latkes, and stories, as well as calling out numbers and colors. Alongside the candle-lighting badger (a mammal common in Israel), each page also features the distinctive crowned Hoopoe bird, Israel’s na

Shield of the Maccabees: A Hanukkah Graphic Novel by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Dov Smiley Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House)   Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Leah Cypess Buy at Bookshop.org "All history books," Dara Horn has written, "fact or fiction, are really about the times in which they are written, not about the times they supposedly describe." This is particularly true when it comes to historical fiction, and it's very true about Shield of the Maccabees, Eric Kimmel and Dov Smiley's graphic novel about a friendship between a Greek boy and a Jewish boy that is fractured by the conflict between the Greeks and the Jewish Maccabees.   Kimmel uses this framework to tell a story about friendship transcending differences -- a story that should appeal greatly to its intended modern-day audience, although the main message might have made little sense to its historical characters.   Its main poin

Baby Loves Angular Momentum on Hanukkah! by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Irene Chan Charlesbridge Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Sarah Aronson   Buy at Bookshop.org   As a brand new bubbe, I am always on the hunt for great board books that are fun to read and capture the kids' imagination, and no one is better at creating these books than the team of Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan.    Angular Momentum is many things: It’s an introduction to the meaning of Hanukkah. It’s an introduction to the game of dreidel. AND it’s a discussion about physics, gravity, and angular momentum. Spoiler: I learned something!   Spiro’s prose are simple, fun, and respectful—and scientifically accurate. No misinformation here! Chan’s illustrations bring the text to life. They are delightful—colorful and engaging--perfect for young eyes.    A special surprise: at the end of the book, Spiro includes a nod to diversity and inclusion (and other titles): not all Baby’s friends celebrate Hanukkah . . . bu

 Is It Hanukkah Yet? by Nancy Krulik, illustrated by Monique Dong Step Into Reading Level 2, Random House Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Bookshop.org The exuberant first person voice of a nameless little girl makes the controlled vocabulary come alive in this early reader. The child and her grandparents happily prepare for the holiday, and celebrate when the parents arrive home from work at sundown. Typical Hanukkah activities such as making latkes, reading about the Maccabees, lighting candles, playing dreidel, and eating sufganiyot are woven naturally into the story. Grandma gifts her granddaughter the music box they play with at her house ("Now you can hear our special song anytime you like!"),  which pleasantly emphasizes relationships instead of consumerism.  Originally published in 2000 with pictures by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan, this new edition has energetic, rounded illustrations by Monique Dong, arranged with plenty of white space to give the ey

My Hanukkah Book of Opposites by Tammar Stein, illustrated by Juliana Perdomo PJ Publishing Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy on Amazon.com The cover of this board book, with its juxtaposition of warm and cool colors in a symmetrical design, immediately presents a feeling of balance. It also offers a conversation starter: adults can ask children to look for opposites such as tall/short and lit/unlit candles, as well as birds facing to the right or left, priming them for the theme before even opening the book. Within, six pairs of opposites manage to create a narrative, tying together the arrival of guests through the celebration of Hanukkah up until bedtime. The text makes sense chronologically: the people are cold until they go indoors and then they are warm; a platter of latkes is full until they are eaten up and then the platter is empty. Stylish, rounded illustrations depict a diverse gathering of family and friends with a variety of skin tones. Men and boys we

Red and Green and Blue and White by Lee Wind, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky Levine Querido Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ruth Horowitz Buy at Bookshop.org In 1993, in Billings, Montana, a rock shattered a window displaying a menorah decoration. The community, overwhelmingly non-Jewish, responded by displaying 10,000 menorah decorations in windows around town. RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE turns these events into a picture book that is gracefully written, gorgeously illustrated, appropriate for young readers, and inspiring to all.   Lee Wind centers his story on two real children, neighbors and best friends Isaac and Teresa. The two have a lot in common, including loving each other’s holiday lights– Isaac’s the only blue-and-white display in a sea of red and green. One night, “shadows” approach Isaac’s house, and a stone shatters his window. After the police come and the glass is replaced, Isaac’s frightened family considers keeping their display down. But erring on

Latkes for Santa Claus by Janie Emaus, illustrated by Bryan Langdo Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel Simon   Buy at Bookshop.org   Latkes for Santa Claus by Janie Emaus and illustrated by Bryan Langdo is a sweet story of an interfaith household. Jewish Anna is excited when she realizes Santa will come to her house for the first time this year. Her new Christian stepbrother Michael is sure Santa will eat his homemade cookies, but Anna has other ideas. She thinks Santa would love the Jewish food her family has -- from Bubbe Sadie’s matzo ball soup to noodle kugel to tzimmes. But all of those delicious foods aren’t quite the finger food Santa needs, so she finally figures out Santa can eat latkes and not make a mess. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and I particularly loved the images of Santa with latkes high in his bag on his sleigh. The book represents many interfaith families today, who partake in Christmas and Hanukkah. In addition, Latkes for Santa Claus comes wit

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Shahar Kober Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer   Buy at Bookshop.org The Ninth Night of Hanukkah by Erica Perl celebrates not just Hanukkah, but neighborliness and the importance of traditions both old and new. A family has just moved into their new home and can’t find the box with their Judaica items. As the nights pass without the box turning up, siblings Max and Rachel ask an array of neighbors from different backgrounds for help, borrowing candles, eating French fries instead of latkes, making do with chocolate chips instead of chocolate gelt, and so on. Each night ends with the child-pleasing refrain, “It was nice… but it didn’t feel quite like Hanukkah.” The final night of Hanukkah passes without the box, but the children decide to invite the neighbors over for a ninth night of Hanukkah, representing the shamash, the helper candle. Perl explicitly makes the connection between the shamash helping the o

Kayla and Kugel's Happy Hanukkah written and illustrated by Ann D. Koffsky Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Judith S. Greenblatt Buy at Apples & Honey Kayla and Kugel’s Happy Hanukkah is Ann D. Koffsky’s third Kayla and Kugel book, joining Kayla and Kugel , and Kayla and Kugel’s Almost Perfect Passover , Kayla’s puppy Kugel gets into only a small amount of trouble as he helps her get ready for Hanukkah. Together, after first examining the Purim box, they find the box of hanukkiot (a word not used) and dreidels, and Kayla explains the Hanukkah story to Kugel. The illustrations are very appealing, including those parts of the story that are age appropriate. The retelling of the story of Hanukkah is nicely set off by the use of a color palette different from that of Kayla and Kugel’s story. Full color is used for child and dog; the Hanukkah story is shown in burnished gold with details in browns and grey. Kayla and Kugel’s Happy Hanukkah meets the Sydney Taylor criteria of hav

  Happy Llamakkah! by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Lydia Nichols Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel Kamin Buy at Bookshop.org Llamas started showing up on goofy Hanukkah sweaters, t-shirts, greeting cards, wrapping paper and more since as early as 2016 so it was only a matter of time before someone turned the catch phrase "Happy Llamakkah!” into a children’s book. With a simple rhyming text, a family of llamas and their friends light the menorah, spin the dreidel, fry latkes, sing songs, and eat donuts and chocolate gelt. Adorable, bright, festive illustrations depicting a multi-generational llama family add to the fun and a rather comprehensive author’s note adds value to this quirky, gimmicky addition to the “animals celebrating Hanukkah” canon that began in 1988 with Jane Breskin Zalben’s bears ( Beni's First Chanukah ), rabbits ( Hanukkah Delight! by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Amy Husband, and Hoppy Hanukkah! by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Daniel Howarth), gorill

There Was a Young Rabbi: A Hanukkah Tale by Suzanne Wolfe, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld Buy at Bookshop.org Liberal Judaism merits as many excellent religious female role models as it can muster, and Wolfe and Ebbeler tell and depict the story of an versatile and knowledgeable one in this tale that takes readers from the first night of Hanukkah to the last. The heroine is a young female rabbi who brings her family along through the joys of the holiday, in energetic rhyme that will have kids reading along with whomever is recounting it to them, or reading it aloud on their own. All the highlights of Hanukkah are here -- latkes flying above the rabbi's stove top in a four-latke flip; the menorah lit by the rabbi and her son and daughter (all in kippot, mind you); the rabbi's ten-pound-at-least kosher brisket coming out of the oven; dreidel victories; visits from the mishpocha; a brief history lesson; and even the rabbi leining a