Archive for the ‘Hanukkah’ Category

D is for Dreidel: A Hanukkah Alphabet Book by Tanya Lee Stone

December 20, 2011 - 2:58 pm No Comments

This would be a great book to share with the toddler, preschooler or kindergartener in your life. The illustrations are wonderful, it rhymes and it shares the story of Hanukkah as well as the traditions that go along with Hanukkah.

The Chanukkah Guest by Eric A. Kimmel

December 16, 2011 - 9:00 am No Comments

Bubba Brayna makes the best latkes around and soon the rabbi and many townspeople will come to her house to light the menorah and celebrate with good food and fun games. It seems that one of her guests, the rabbi, gets there a little early and eats all of the latkes before anyone else arrives. Or was it the rabbi? Bubba’s eyesight isn’t too great and it turns out that it wasn’t the rabbi, but a big brown bear. This book is so cute and your kids will think it’s hilarious as Bubba plays dreidel with the bear, as she tries to take his coat off and that she has to help him say the prayers as she lights the menorah.

The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimmelman

December 2, 2011 - 2:02 pm No Comments

Rebecca Bloom is preparing her famous latkes on the first night of Hanukkah when three of the latkes jump out of the pan and escape. Rebecca, the cantor, the rabbi, even the mayor end up chasing after the latkes to the edge of town. You’ll never guess what happens once they jump into the river, but everyone does end up getting to eat some yummy latkes with applesauce. Not only is this a cute story, but I love that the latkes repeat the same line on every page. This is great for beginning readers as they can help you read along with the story. This feature is also great for little ones, too. They love to hear the repetition and it won’t take them long until they are chiming in with you every time you get to that part of the story.

Hanukkah Haiku by Harriet Ziefert

December 1, 2011 - 1:19 pm No Comments

Any author who can bring the magic of a holiday alive in the form of a haiku is going to spark my interest. Not only does this book deliver, but the illustrations are vibrant and beautiful. The haiku format is creative, keeps things simple so that the youngest children will enjoy and understand the basics of Hanukkah and it might even spark the older children into trying to come up with their own Hanukkah haikus.

Runaway Dreidel by Leslea Newman

December 6, 2010 - 9:01 pm No Comments

It’s the first night of Chanukah and a boy is playing with his brand new dreidel when it flies out the door, down the stairs, through the city, into the country and out to sea. Family, neighbors and other community members join in the chase, but his dreidel ends up as a twinkling star in the sky, so they head back home to sing, dance and eat latkes. I love the rhyming in this book and the story is cute but I LOVE the illustrations!!!

Eight Wild Nights by Brian P. Cleary

December 6, 2010 - 8:48 pm No Comments

A family gets ready for a HUGE family gathering for Hanukkah. As expected, chaos ensues. The dog knocks over the menorah, Aunt Myra spills all the applesauce and Grandpa Dave hides the dreidel and ends up teaching the kids how to play poker and blackjack instead. Through all of the chaos of the Hanukkah season and with all of the company they have in their house, in the end, another miracle has happened…the family is “quiet and calm and all getting along”. This is a cute rhyming book that will entertain children and adults alike.

Chanukah Lights Everywhere by Michael J. Rosen

December 2, 2010 - 2:08 pm No Comments

A young boy celebrates the lights of Chanukah and also notices the lights around him…headlights from a car, lights in the kitchen, the lights on his front porch, his neighbor’s Christmas lights…all of those lights remind him of Chanukah and being Jewish, even when Chanukah is over. Also, as your little ones are counting the lights on each page, have them find the cats, too. This book is very engaging for many age levels.

The Only One Club by Jane Naliboff

December 2, 2010 - 1:48 pm No Comments

Jennifer’s class is getting ready to make Christmas decorations when Jennifer tells her teacher that she doesn’t celebrate Christmas, she celebrates Hanukkah. Mrs. Matthews has Jennifer make Hanukkah decorations instead and that night Jennifer is so proud of being the only one in her class that is Jewish that she makes up her own club called The Only One Club. She even makes herself a pin to wear that says “The Only One Club.” When her classmates see the pin they want to join too because they are the only one of something. Olivia Raven is the only one whose last name is a kind of bird and Jonah wants to join because he is the only kid in the class with red hair. Things start to go down hill and some of Jennifer’s classmates want to start a Not the Only One Club, but Jennifer has an idea and ends up inviting everyone in her class to join her club because they are all unique and the only one of something. She even makes badges for all of them…including Mrs. Matthews.

Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah by Sylvia A. Rouss

December 2, 2010 - 11:37 am No Comments

Sammy Spider warms his feet by the menorah’s candles each night as he watches Josh and his family eat yummy foods and listens to them sing songs during Hanukkah. Sammy Spider is a little jealous of the dreidels and wants one for himself, but his mother reminds him that “Spiders don’t spin dreidels. Spiders spin webs”. (This part repeats several times and is fun for kids because they catch on and will “read” along with you when you get to that part of the story.) In the end, Sammy Spider’s mom surprises him with a gift that helps Sammy Spider forget about how disappointed he was that he didn’t get to have a dreidel of his own.

It’s Hanukkah! by Jeanne Modesitt

November 29, 2010 - 1:03 pm No Comments

A simple rhyming tale introducing the youngest of readers to the traditions of Hanukkah…candles, stories, latkes, songs, gifts and dreidels. The illustrations in this book are warm and inviting and gives the reader a sense of the importance of family and togetherness that surrounds this holiday.