Nathan's Hanukkah Bargain

Nathan has only five dollars with which to buy a Hanukkah menorah, and his search for one he can afford is unseccessful until his grandfather teaches him some lessons about old-fashioned bargaining.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2

Nathan wants to buy his own menorah, but when he goes shopping with his grandfather, he finds that they are either too expensive or not quite right. After the man reminisces about dealing with peddlers in the old days, they find a silver menorah in a junk shop. Although the ending is rather pat, the story has a straightforward appeal that many kids will appreciate, and Grandpa (who stands aside to let Nathan do the haggling himself) is a gem. The bargaining session itself is realistic and entertaining (Nathan "eyed the man coolly. 'It has a dent.' 'Dent, shment,' the shopkeeper mocked. 'It's pure silver. It's a steal at ten dollars'"). Although the facial features and expressions are sometimes a bit exaggerated, the full-spread illustrations do a good job of complementing the text. A short afterword explains the holiday and the role of the menorah. While this story is only tangentially about Hanukkah, it is a good intergenerational selection for larger or specialized collections.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

Illustrator Judith Hierstein holds a B.A. in art from the University of Iowa. She has illustrated all of the Gloria Teles Pushker titles released by Pelican. Ms. Hierstein believes that pictures should begin where the written word ends, and she encourages children to share in her love of learning about other cultures through illustrated books.