Children - Holidays & Festivals, Music, Children - Religion & Beliefs, Children - Fiction & Literature

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

Name: Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
Author: Susan L. Roth
ISBN: 9780142407011

by Susan L. Roth

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Overview

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah,

come light the menorah . . .

Come and join this lovable family of mice at their Hanukkah party! Everyone will enjoy the festival of lights as they sing, dance the hora, play with dreidels, and eat latkes. And the musical score at the end of the book will help youngsters sing the festive song! Susan L. Roth's colorful collages will entice children—young and old—to celebrate this luminous holiday with their entire family.

A family of mice celebrates the eight days of Hannukah with friends in this illustrated version of the holiday song.

Synopsis

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah,

come light the menorah . . .

Come and join this lovable family of mice at their Hanukkah party! Everyone will enjoy the festival of lights as they sing, dance the hora, play with dreidels, and eat latkes. And the musical score at the end of the book will help youngsters sing the festive song! Susan L. Roth's colorful collages will entice children--young and old--to celebrate this luminous holiday with their entire family.

About the Author: Susan L. Roth lives in Whitestone, New York.

Publishers Weekly

The familiar children's anthem of the Festival of Lights takes on a new glow thanks to Roth's (Happy Birthday Mr. Kang) signature crazy-quilt collages, in which the lyrics and melody line appear on a final spread. A family of mice and their guests mark each night of Hanukkah-and each line of the song-with a different festivity. For "Gather round the table,/ we'll give you a treat," Roth constructs a latke dinner that's a feast of textures, with the diners' extravagant, overlapping whiskers serving as a witty metaphor for the religious and familial ties that bind. Ages 2-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

About the Author, Susan L. Roth

Susan L. Roth is the author and illustrator of many beautiful books for children. To create the collages for her books, Ms. Roth uses papers from sixteen baskets in her studio, which are lined up by color.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

Children's Literature - Henry Tindal

Susan L. Roth takes the holiday song "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" and turns it into a picture book using mice to depict the gathering of family and friends. Roth's mice light the menorah, dance the hora, eat latkes, play with dreidels, and gather around the piano to revel in holiday cheer. While Roth's choice of cut cloth and paper collage certainly creates a colorful and textured appearance, it also makes the work appear fragmented. Furthermore, the emotionless mice fail to convey any sense of merriment typically associated with the holiday season. While the illustrations could have more closely matched the tone of the holidays, children of all religions will be able to identify with the mice as they dance and play throughout the book. Jewish families will certainly appreciate the addition to the comparatively small collection of holiday children's books, while non-Jewish children will be able to learn about the Hanukkah season.

School Library Journal

PreS-In this illustrated version of the song, a family of mice and their assorted relatives eat latkes, read stories, dance the hora, light the menorah, and spin dreidels. Cloth and paper collages done in many different patterns and textures add interest to the cozy tableaux of expressionless mice with extravagantly long whiskers. The lovely colors and the appealing tune make this a good holiday choice.-E. M. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Bright collage art using a wealth of textured, patterned papers and lace bring this traditional holiday song to life. A family of mice celebrates the festival by lighting the menorah, welcoming friends, dancing, enjoying latkes, playing the dreidel game, sharing gifts, and most of all recognizing the historical reason for the celebration as the song concludes, "to remind us of days long ago." Musical score for the melody and words to the song are appended. While other related information such as why the menorah is lit is not included, this will serve as a fun, simple artistic introduction to the holiday for the youngest child. (Picture book. 2-4)