Holiday Picks: Jeremy's Dreidel

With snow in the forecast, temperatures dropping, and people digging out their mittens and hats, it's officially December!  Enjoy a holiday pick each day before Christmas.

Written by Ellie Gellman.  Illustrated by Maria Mola.  Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2012.

At a dreidel-making workshop at the local Jewish Community Center, Jeremy decides to make a dreidel as a surprise for someone.  As the other children are busily choosing recycled materials to make theirs, Jeremy chooses clay.  He rolls and molds it into the shape he wants.  The other children become curious after Jeremy molds tiny dots onto one side of his dreidel.  He tells them the dots are Braille, a way of reading for blind people, and that his surprise dreidel is for his dad, who is blind.

This is a great book to share with your kids during Hanukkah for several reasons.  First, the book discusses the history of the dreidel, how it is played with on Hanukkah, and the religious and historical significance of Hanukkah.  Second, it gives you craft ideas for how to make dreidels out of recycled materials.  It also includes instructions for the dreidel game and a fun project.  Who doesn't love crafts?  Lastly, it provides an accessible portrayal of blindness in a contemporary setting that kids can understand, from a kid's point of view.  I think it handles certain challenges well.  For instance, Jeremy gets impatient with all his friends' questions and assumptions about blindness.  He also gets upset when his art teacher wants to put his dreidel in a glass display case (she changes her mind once she sees how upset he is), because he wants his dad to be able to play with and touch the dreidel.  Overall, a positive book to share with children during Hanukkah.  Will you be playing the dreidel game?