Holidays & Festivals Books

Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah (Sammy Spider's First Books)

Sylvia A. Rouss

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful introduction to Hanukkah for preschoolers 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Sammy's First Hanukkah not only introduces preschoolers to Hanukkah in a way that is right on their level, it also reviews numbers and colors as well. A perfect book for the holidays.

A wonderful first book about Hanukkah 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book is an ideal choice for very young children, as it portrays a fun and interesting view of Hanukkah that is very much in keeping with a small child's own perceptions of the holiday, namely, candle lighting, dreidel playing and latke eating. The story is simply told and the illustrations are colorful and reminiscent of Eric Carle's work. It is a quick reading book that my two and half year old enjoyed a great deal.

Good source book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier and Nicholas Lopez (age 5) for Reader Views (10/07)

Sammy Spider and his mother live on the ceiling of the Shapiro family's house. On the first night of Hanukkah, the Shapiros light one candle in the menorah and their son Josh is given a dreidel to spin. Sammy likes to warm his cold feet by the candles. He also enjoys watching the dreidel spin and asks his mother for one of his own. His mother tells him that spiders spin webs, not dreidels. Each consecutive night an additional candle is lit and Josh is given a different colored dreidel. Sammy keeps asking his mother for a dreidel but gets the same response. At the end of Hanukkah, Sammy is sad because he still has no dreidel of his own. His mother presents him with a clever gift - eight different colored socks (the same colors as the dreidels Josh received) each with a little dreidel spun on the end.

Nicholas had no trouble recognizing the colors (except rose because it appeared to be the same color as brown) and liked seeing the names of the colors so he could learn how to spell them. He thought it was funny that Sammy could wear eight socks that were all different colors and was happy his feet would not be cold anymore. He was also happy that Sammy finally got the dreidel that he wanted. He was not thrilled with the illustrations of the Shapiro family's faces. (They were a little abstract).

"Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah" is a good source for teaching young children about colors and numbers and at the same time explaining certain Jewish traditions.

Editorial Review:

Sammy watches longingly as Josh Shapiro lights another candle and receives a brightly-colored dreidel each night of Hanukkah. "Spiders don't spin dreidels, spiders spin webs!" Sammy's mother reminds him. Then on the last night, Sammy gets his own spinning surprise. Full color.

Hanukkah: A Counting Book In English - Hebrew - Yiddish (Hanukkah)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, celebrates the rededication of the Jewish temple after a group of ancient heroes defended their right to worship as they wished. This handsome little counting book honors the most joyful of Jewish holidays, and teaches readers how to count from one to eight in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish. With every page, another die-cut menorah candle appears, as well as the spelling and pronunciation of the ascending numbers in each language. On the opposite page of each two-page spread, symbols of Hanukkah are featured against bold, colorful backdrops: "one Hanukkah menorah," "four dreidels," "seven potato pancakes," etc., along with the Hebrew and Yiddish terms. Author Emily Sper shares her childhood memories of lighting the Hanukkah menorah, and a brief, age-appropriate story explains the symbols and meanings behind the holiday. This is a book best read together with a loving grownup who can elaborate on the rituals and stories of the Festival of Lights. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

Sammy Spider's First Passover

Sylvia A. Rouss

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A very good book for young children about Passover 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This book is very good for young children of all ages. It teaches the children in a fun way why we celebrate Passover and the history about it.

Awsome Mrs. Rouss!!!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Mrs. Rouss, I know this sounds hard to belive, but I was in your pre school class at Beth Tofilah in Baltimore! I loved your book! Very creative!

Cute 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Sammy Spider was fast asleep in his family web up on the Shapiro's ceiling. A warm spring sun shown through the window, and suddenly a loud noise wakened him.

Mr. Shapiro was dusting the ceiling with a broom. Sammy's mother explained that each spring, when the Shapiro family cleaned for Passover, the Spiders made a new web. As his mother told him how to spin a web, Sammy was distracted by the squares on the table below.

"That's called matzah." Mrs. Spider explained that the Shapiros would eat it at their special meal, called a seder, which also featured a big platter with a roasted egg, bone, parsley, charoset and bitter herbs to help them celebrate. Sammy watched Mr. Shapiro hide the afikomen. After the meal, his son Josh would have try to find it to earn a prize.

Sammy was simply not interested in making a web. He listened to Josh ask the Four Questions--why was this night different from all other nights? When Josh hunted for the Afikomen, he also found a special present from Sammy Spider. But that's a secret also hidden--between the covers of this cute book.

This book is a special Pessach delight for the three-and-under set. Alyssa A. Lappen

Editorial Review:

Sammy wants to help Josh find the afikomen but his mother reminds him, "{Spiders don't celebrate Passover. Spiders spin webs. His first attempt yields some surprising results.

Penina Levine Is a Hard-boiled Egg

Rebecca O'Connell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Penina's a good egg 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the wit and wisdom of Penina. Rebecca O'Connell's book taps in to the frustration we all have felt when an authority figure (in this case, a teacher with a fixation on the Easter bunny) disregards our most diligent efforts to be understood. Start with a Passover feast, add an annoying younger sister, an empathetic friend, and a rich seasoning of humor...and you have the recipe for a rewarding reading experience.

Editorial Review:

Penina Levine has a bossy best friend, a tattletale sister, crazy parents, and a big, fat zero on her school assignment. It was a stupid assignment, completely impossible, totally unfair. She’s never going to do it, not ever, and it’s no use telling her parents about it. They never listen to her anyway. But Penina’s grandmother does. Grandma doesn’t think Penina should do the assignment. It’s a matter of principle. It’s a matter of strength. It’s a matter of five thousand years of history, four cups of wine, and a couple dozen hard-boiled eggs.

Runaway Dreidel!

Leslea Newman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Chanukah IS NOT the Jewish Christmas 2 out of 5 stars.
4 of 8 people found this review helpful.

With such wonderful illustrations, and a mostly enjoyable text, it's too bad that this book gets its inspiration from "Twas The Night Before Christmas". Jewish parents work hard teaching their children that Chanukah IS NOT the Jewish Christmas. This book doesn't help. There are much better choices out there.

a nice addition to the Hanukah collection 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

With nods to "Twas the night before" and the Runaway Ginderbread Man and Runaway Ricecake, etc, this is a rhyming story about the cultural celebration of Hanukkah, a celebration of grated potatoes, family and dreidels. A boy plays with a shiny new dreidel, that spins and spins out the door; spinning past challahs that are two for a dollah... Spins from city to country to ocean to sky, with fun illustrations along the way.

Editorial Review:

When a dreidel that takes off through a boy’s living room, the boy—and readers—are taken on a runaway adventure through city streets and along country roads, where modern times and history blend together in magical ways. This celebration of one of Chanukah’s most fun traditions—spinning the dreidel—is sure to be a welcome addition to this healthy holiday category.

Hannukah Story (Latkes And Applesauce)

Fran Manushkin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Sweet and Sincere Book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the story of Hanukah with the Menasche family, parents and two children. The family seems to have little material wealth and little food. When a snow storm hits during Hanukah they are faced with great difficulties. They carry on with strength throughout the ordeal and have a very special Hanukah. It is a sweet story, enjoyable for children and parents.

Editorial Review:

The Menasche family enjoys a joyous holiday celebration despite a scarcity of food. Includes notes on Hanukkah, a bibliography, a recipe for making latkes, and rules for playing dreidel.

Moishe's Miracle: A Hanukkah Story

Laura Krauss Melmed

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

On the night before Hanukkah, in the poor village of Wishniak, milkman Moishe's sharp-tongued wife, Baila, scolds him for being too generous with their hungry neighbors. Now they have no money to buy eggs and flour to make the traditional Hanukkah latkes. Moishe escapes to the cowshed to sleep in peace. When he awakens, he finds that his cows can speak to him: "MOO-oishe! MOO-oishe!" They inform him that he has been given a magical gift, a pan that, when set upon the fire totally empty, will produce as many latkes as he wishes. The gift comes with a warning, though. Only Moishe must use it. But what harm could it really do if Baila uses it just one time?

Laura Krauss Melmed and David Slonim create a wholly original Jewish folktale that celebrates generosity, the rebirth of a soul, and delicious potato latkes. Slonim's marvelous paintings seem candle-lit, with cozy golden oranges and shadowy blues. If we didn't know better, we'd believe this was a classic traditional Hanukkah tale. No matter. Given time, it may turn out to be just that! (Ages 5 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

Gershon's Monster: A Story For The Jewish New Year (Gershon's Monster)

Eric Kimmel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Rather than regret or atone for his everyday mistakes, baker Gershon simply sweeps them into his basement. Once a year on Rosh Hashanah, he stuffs these demon-shaped transgressions in a giant bag and dumps them into the Black Sea. Of course, Gershon must discover sooner or later that his selfish acts cannot be disposed of so easily. In spite of a pointed warning from a rabbi, Gershon refuses to realize that his behavior will come back to haunt him someday. It's only when he is faced with the monstrous bulk of his misdeeds that Gershon finally, truly repents.

Eric A. Kimmel's beautiful retelling of the traditional Hasidic legend for the Jewish New Year captures all the weighty value of responsibility and forgiveness. In his author's note, Kimmel describes the Rosh Hashanah ceremony called tashlikh, in which people gather at the seashore or by a river to recite biblical verses and turn their pockets inside out, allowing bread crumbs to fall into the water--a symbolic casting-off of sins.

Award-winning illustrator Jon J Muth's expressive and luminous watercolors, suffused with the pale golden light of day or oppressed under a lowering coastal sky, are unforgettable, as is the remarkably frightening yet stunning "immense black monster covered with scales like iron plates," on each of which is written one of Gershon's misdeeds. Muth's extraordinary work can also be seen in author Karen Hesse's lovely picture book Come On, Rain! (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

The Magic Menorah: A Modern Chanukah Tale

Jane Breskin Zalben

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Real Meaning of Chanukah..... 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Stanley Green never looked forward to Chanukah. He felt it was more trouble than it was worth. All his relatives came to his house with their sloppy hugs and kisses, his little cousins fought and yelled, got into his things, and made a big mess. There was too much cooking, and his arm ached from grating potatoes and chopping onions for the latkes. And there was too much cleaning before the celebration, and even more afterwards. Worst of all, on Chanukah, a supposedly happy holiday, his Grandpa Abe was always quiet and very sad. This year something new was added to the usual routine. Stanley was sent up to the attic to find an old wrapped package in the large trunk. He'd never seen it before and with his curiosity getting the better of him, carefully opened the brown paper to find a tarnished menorah. As he began to wipe off the dust, he wondered why anyone would want this old thing. Just as he finished examining it more closely, and polishing the shammash until it glowed, the floor began to shake, a big puff of smoke erupted, and a very old man appeared in front of him..... Jane Breskin Zalben has written a lovely and memorable Chanukah story, with a simple and gentle message, that won't be lost on young readers. Her engaging and entertaining text, complete with yiddish words and expressions, is complemented by Donna Diamond's old photograph-like artwork, and together they've authored a tender and poignant story of love, family, and the true meaning of happiness. There's even a glossary included at the end of the story, to help with the yiddish and enhance learning. Perfect as a reading book for youngsters 8 and older, The Magic Menorah makes an even better read-aloud story the entire family can share and enjoy together.

Editorial Review:

Stanley dreads Chanukah.

He hates having to clean the house, grate mounds of potatoes, and deal with a bunch of noisy, nosy, pushy relatives. He'd much rather live like a rock star and do whatever he wants whenever he wants to do it.

Stanley gets his wish when he uncovers a tarnished, antique menorah, begins to rub the schmutz off of it, and discovers a genie named Fishel.

Fishel, who looks more like a haggard old man than any genie Stanley ever heard of, grants him three wishes. Finally! Stanley will get the fame and fortune he's always wanted.

But why does Fishel insist on taking Stanley back in time to grant a wish? What do people who lived in the 1930s have to do with Stanley now?

In this heartwarming holiday story, Jane Breskin Zalben shows us the strength of family and what being happy is really all about.

The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah

Isaac Bashevis Singer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Almost Too Good to Be True 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

The book, that is. The stories and pictures are just unbelievably warm and beautiful. I often read this short book cover to cover during Chanukah--one sparkling little gem a night. Just perfect for adults and, I'm sure, children, too. In fact, I can't imagine anything nicer than to read these to a kid on Chanukah. This book is the perfect gift, to yourself or anyone else. And if you can find yourself a hardcover copy, then you're *really* in luck.

Wonderful! 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful.

I really enjoyed this book. This book has eight stories, one for each night of Hanukkah. All the stories were interesting and had beautiful illustrations. My favorite story was The Power of Light. Isacc Bashevis Singer is a Nobel Prize Winner. This is a great book.

The Candle Of Hope 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

We think it was a very nice story.It had lot's of feelings.It was a very entertaining story. Hunter and Callie.

Sparkling 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Isaac Bashevis Singer-one of the greatest story-tellers of all time-opens this sparkling series of eight Chanukah stories with a reminiscence from his own childhood in his parents' house. He recalls once evening, the last night of the festival of lights when his father, a rabbi in Warsaw, allowed his children to play the Chanukah game of dreidel.

On this occasion, it was snowing, and his brother Joshua pointed out that each snowflake was a hexagon-it had six sides "with fancy little designs and decorations." His father added that it was the world of God Almighty. The story then explains how the game of dreidel works, right down to the meaning of the letters on the little top. And it imparts the story of a miracle contemporary to his father's time.

All eight other stories, including the title piece about Chanukah during the Nazi era, are miracles in their own right.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

Editorial Review:

"The Nobel Prize-winning author again gives us a collection of stories that children will read and reread."-Children's Book Review Service