Holiday Picks: The Count's Hanukkah Countdown

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 Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer.  Illustrated by Tom Leigh.  Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2012.

Tonight marks the fourth night of Hanukkah, so here is another book to share with your children.  Who doesn't love Sesame Street and the Muppets?  In this book, the Count is the main character.  He loves to count numbers, and is very excited about the eight nights of Hanukkah, because eight is the perfect number.  The Count and Grover are invited to celebrate Hanukkah with Brosh and Avigail, and Brosh's aunt, uncle, and cousins.  He learns about the menorah and candles, the story of Hanukkah, eats latkes and jelly doughnuts, plays the dreidel game, and counts chocolate gelt.  Latkes, jelly doughnuts, chocolate...is it just me, or is anyone else hungry?

This book features characters from Shalom Sesame, which gives children and families an introduction to Jewish life and Israel.  Our library owns the DVD series, so be sure to check those out!  Children are encouraged to count along with the Count as the numbers are boldly displayed on the pages.  The illustrations are brights and colorful, accurately representing the Muppets.  What is your favorite Muppet character?

Holiday Picks: Eight Winter Nights

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 Laura Krauss Melmed.  Illustrated by Elisabeth Schlossberg.  San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2010.

Tonight is the third night of Hanukkah.  Here's another picture book you can share with your family.  This book joyfully depicts a family celebrating the eight nights of Hanukkah.  They light the candles, sing songs and dance, play the dreidel game, visit with family, and eat lots of latkes!  The illustrations are done in warm colors, full of soft edges and features, which adds to the coziness of this family story.  The book is written in rhyming verses, which makes it great for sharing with younger children who love to listen to a good story!  It can also serve as a counting book, as each night of Hanukkah is described.  What are some of your family's Hanukkah traditions?

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? 

Holiday Picks: How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah?

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 Jane Yolen.  Illustrated by Mark Teague.  New York: The Blue Sky Press, 2012.

Tonight marks the first night of Chanukah.  I'm looking forward to eating latkes.  Fried potato pancakes.  Need I say more?  I'm not Jewish, but I do have Irish heritage, and have never met a potato I didn't love.  But, I digress.  Here's a fun picture book to share with your kids.  As I mentioned in a previous post, Jane Yolen and Mark Teague published two holiday books this year in their highly popular dinosaur series.  This one is about Chanukah.

Does a dinosaur misbehave on Chanukah nights when the holiday lights are being lit?  Does he fidget through the prayer?  Sneak a peek at presents hidden under the bed?  Gather up all the gelt, and squeeze the chocolate coins until they melt?  No, dinosaurs don't.  He takes turn playing with the dreidel, eats all his latkes, and helps clean up, like a good dinosaur.  Kids will love looking at all the pictures of the different types of dinosaurs and giggling at their naughty behaviors.  Hopefully, they won't act those out!  Happy Chanukah to all my Jewish friends!  How will you celebrate this year?

Holiday Picks: Daddy Christmas & Hanukkah Mama

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 and illustrated by Selina Alko.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.

Sometimes it's hard to remember this time of year is not all about Christmas.  Hanukkah is celebrated also, and this picture book is a great choice for families that celebrate both traditions.  Sadie is a mixture of two traditions, Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama.  This book joyfully describes how her family decorates for the holidays, sings songs, and cooks and bakes, while incorporating both of Mom and Dad's traditions into their planning.  The whole family gets together for a meal and to exchange presents, and talk about the meaning and significance of Christmas and Hanukkah.  What family traditions will you celebrate this year?

Chanukah Books for Children

Two nights ago marked the start of Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights.  This Jewish holiday lasts for eight days and is observed by lighting candles each night on a Menorah.  During those eight nights, why not share some books with your children?  Here are some of the new children's books about Chanukah we have at DeWitt Community Library!  We also have children's DVDs, CDs, and other books about Chanukah available.  Ask the librarian and Happy Chanukah!

Elmo's Little Dreidel
by Naomi Kleinberg
Random House, 2011
Ages: 1-3
This board book introduces little ones to a few of the traditions of the Jewish Festival of Lights. And they'll even learn how to play dreidel!

Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap
by Deborah Bodin Cohen
Kar-Ben, 2011
Ages: 5-7
Near Palestine in the 1890s, a train derails and its engineer, who was rushing to spend Hanukkah with friends, is surprised when a Bedouin who helps him says they are in the very place where the miracle of Hanukkah began.

The Golem's Latkes
by Eric A. Kimmel
Marshall Cavendish Children, 2011
Ages: 5-8
Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel visits the Emperor, leaving a new housemaid to prepare for his Hanukkah party, but returns to find that she has misused the clay man he created. Includes historical and cultural notes.

The Hanukah Hop!
by Erica Silverman
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011
Ages: 3-6
Rhymed text and illustrations follow a family's activities as they prepare to celebrate Hanukkah.

Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah
illustrated by Olga Ivanov & Aleksey Ivanov
Marshall Cavendish Children, 2011
Ages: 2-5
An illustrated presentation of the well-known Hanukkah song. Includes note about the history of the song.

Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles
by Tami Lehman-Wilzig
Kar-Ben, 2011
Ages: 6-8
Although Jacob finds his autistic brother, Nathan, annoying, he gets angry at a new neighbor who calls Nathan weird, but their mothers help the boys get along with a special Hanukkah observance.

The Story of Hanukkah
by David A. Adler
Holiday House, 2011
Ages: 6-8
No celebration of Hanukkah would be complete without recounting the events of more than two thousand years ago that the holiday commemorates. In a simple yet dramatic text and vibrant paintings, the story of the courageous Maccabees and the miracle that took place in the Temple in Jerusalem is retold. For readers who want to continue the festivities, a recipe for latkes and directions for playing dreidel are included.

Maccabee!: the Story of Hanukkah
by Tilda Balsley
Kar-Ben, 2010
Ages: 5-8
The Hanukkah story of how Judah and the Maccabees fought the dictator King Antiochus for religious freedom of the Jews and the restoration of Jerusalem.

Eight Winter Nights: a Family Hanukkah Book
by Laura Krauss Melmed
Chronicle Books, 2010
Ages: 2-5
Short verses describe symbols, foods, and family fun associated with the festival of Hanukkah. Includes facts about the history and traditions.

Happy Hanukkah Lights
by Jacqueline Jules
Kar-Ben, 2010
Ages: 1-3
This board book shows how a family celebrates Hanukkah by lighting candles, opening gifts, and eating latkes.