SAN DIEGO — It’s Hanukkah in August as we take a look at two enjoyable holiday stories.
The first, The Ninth Night of Hanukkah, is written by Erica S. Perl and illustrated by Shahar Kober. (Published by Sterling Children’s books and available September 15).
For eight nights, the shamash candle shares the spotlight with the other Hanukkah candles. It helps each candle bring a special light into the world. But the shamash never gets a night all to itself. The Ninth Night of Hanukkah changes that. Mom, Dad, Max and Rachel have moved into a new home. As Hanukkah begins, Mom discovers they have not unpacked their menorah yet. When Dad brings home pizza for dinner, the children realize this would be a different kind of celebration. The pizza was nice, but it…just didn’t feel quite like Hanukkah. On the second night, with no menorah in sight, Rachel and Max take things into their own hands and make their own. Alas, there are no candles to be found. But the children find a neighbor who lends them birthday candles. Nice, but it… just didn’t feel quite like Hanukkah. Each night finds the children scurrying to borrow something else. Hanukkah ends on the eighth night, but the children decide to celebrate for one additional night, to thank the neighbors and the shamash candle for helping out on the other eight nights.
Erica Perl does a wonderful job of showing what gratitude looks and feels like. In a world where neighborly kindness and appreciation might seem in short supply, The Ninth Night of Hanukkah leads the way with an abundance of both. This is the perfect book for Hanukkah, and will be enjoyed for many years to come.
The second book, There Was A Young Rabbi, A Hanukkah Tale, written by Suzanne Wolfe and delightfully illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler (published by Kar Ben and available on September 1), uses a familiar song to show how the young rabbi celebrates Hanukkah in style. With fun repetition popularized by the old tune “There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly,” we follow the rabbi as she lights the menorah and makes latkes, with applesauce, of course.
The story is sprinkled liberally with all the beloved traditions, from dreidels, chocolate gelt, and a warm family gathering at the end. Children will delight in repeating each verse as it gets longer and longer. A dash of Hannukah facts and a back page that retells the story of the Maccabees round out this story. A fun read for any Hanukkah celebration.
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Marcia Berneger is a retired elementary school teacher as well as a teacher at Torah school. She is the author of such children’s books as Buster the Little Garbage Truck, and A Dreidel in Time.