Overview
Flip, flap here.Flip, flop there.
Potato pancakes in the air.
Latkes flying everywhere!
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award, Hanukkah! follows one family's celebration of the holiday, from eating latkes and spinning the dreidel, to singing prayers and lighting the menorah. With sweet rhyming text and warm illustrations, this is the perfect was to celebrate the festival of lights.
Describes the meaning and traditions of Hanukkah as five children and their family celebrate the holiday.
Synopsis
Flip, flap here.
Flip, flop there.
Potato pancakes in the air.
Latkes flying everywhere!
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award, Hanukkah! follows one family's celebration of the holiday, from eating latkes and spinning the dreidel, to singing prayers and lighting the menorah. With sweet rhyming text and warm illustrations, this is the perfect was to celebrate the festival of lights.
Publishers Weekly
This glowing picture book focuses on one family's celebration of Hanukkah. It's the eighth and final night of the holiday and Mama, Papa and Grandma Rose are lighting the menorah, while the children--Nora, Dan, Ruthie, Sam and baby Moe--begin their own preparations for the family celebration. Nora and Dan make latkes, Ruthie makes decorations, Sam makes clay dreidels and tries to teach baby Moe how to say ``Hanukkah.'' The festive family meal is followed by songs, dances and gifts. Finally, as the evening ends and the candles burn low, Moe giggles ``Hanuk-kah!'' Schotter's somewhat bland text may confuse children with its odd blend of poetry and prose, but Hafner's watercolors of the cozy house filled with the warmth of love and family beautifully evoke this special celebration's pleasures. A one-page ``Story of Hanukkah'' and a glossary of Hanukkah words are included. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Editorials
Booklist
An expecially warm and joyful Hanukkah book that captures the spirit of the holiday.New York Times Book Review
Cheerful and appealing.Publishers Weekly -
This glowing picture book focuses on one family's celebration of Hanukkah. It's the eighth and final night of the holiday and Mama, Papa and Grandma Rose are lighting the menorah, while the children--Nora, Dan, Ruthie, Sam and baby Moe--begin their own preparations for the family celebration. Nora and Dan make latkes, Ruthie makes decorations, Sam makes clay dreidels and tries to teach baby Moe how to say ``Hanukkah.'' The festive family meal is followed by songs, dances and gifts. Finally, as the evening ends and the candles burn low, Moe giggles ``Hanuk-kah!'' Schotter's somewhat bland text may confuse children with its odd blend of poetry and prose, but Hafner's watercolors of the cozy house filled with the warmth of love and family beautifully evoke this special celebration's pleasures. A one-page ``Story of Hanukkah'' and a glossary of Hanukkah words are included. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)Publishers Weekly
A board book adaptation of Roni Schotter's 1990 Hanukkah!, illus. by Marylin Hafner, gives youngest readers a chance to celebrate the last night of the holiday along with the five children of a particularly jolly family. Hafner's personable illustrations telegraph brio. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Truly a delightful experience, this board book—a National Jewish Book Awards winner—was first published in 1990. It has lost none of its pizzazz or charm and is sure to be a favorite as a three-generation family celebrates in the traditional ways. Part poetry and part prose, it nevertheless manages to read well from "In darkest December/Night steals in early/And whisks away the light" all the way to "And, as the candles burn low and lose their light/Eight sleepy people say, 'GOOD NIGHT.'" In between, Mama, Papa and Grandma Rose, Nora, Dan, Sam and Moe have lit the menorah, made potato latkes, created handmade gifts, devoured their dinner, played dreidel games, exchanged presents, enjoyed songs around the piano, danced, and wilted on the sofa as the wax candles wilted to fizzing extinction. The pictures are priceless, with such details are latkes flipped onto the floor in addition to the platter, one shoe on and one shoe off for the tired Mama, Moe's baby bottle on the floor under his chair, and the family cat inside an empty gift box. Sure to be read over and over. 2003 (orig. 1990), Little Brown, Ages 3 mo. to 3.— Judy Chernak