2 More Books that Celebrate and Teach about Hanukkah

Spotlight on Hanukkah
2 MORE Books that Celebrate and Teach about Hanukkah
As the Festival of Lights continues, I share two more books that honor the Jewish faith and the tradition of Hanukkah celebrations.

The Story of Chanukah
Written by Rabbi Francis Barry Silberg
Illustrated by Pamela R. Levy

The Story of Chanukah is a condensed version of the First and Second Books of Maccabees, outlining the pivotal events in child-appropriate terms. The Story of Chanukah does not ignore battle and desecration, but the straight-forward narration omits graphic detail. Young readers will learn about Antiochus's takeover, the desecration of the Temple, the years-long revolt, and the reclamation and rededication of the Temple. The miracle of the oil is also included. Although The Story of Chanukah is a board book, it has appeal for kindergarteners, and is in fact my favorite faith-focused Hanukkah book. The obvious takeaway is that Hanukkah is a celebration of the freedom of Jews to practice their own religion. The closing sentence says it all, "For eight days each year, we celebrate...the right to worship in freedom."

Hanukkah!
Written by Roni Schotter
Illustrated by  Marylin Hafner

Hanukkah! features a family celebrating the last night of the holiday together. The focus is on each member's personal contribution to the celebration, be it cooking dinner, drawing a decoration, or adding one's voice to the prayerful song. Hanukkah! shines among holiday books by focusing on time spent in the warm embrace of family, with details like latkes or dreidels indicating the impetus for the gathering. The heart-warming subplot is the older brother's encouragement of the toddler to say, "Hanukkah," and understand that Hanukkah is a special holiday, even if the littlest one isn't ready to understand its significance. Back matter explains the origin of the Festival of Lights as well as a sticker page.

Note: Review copies of each book were provided upon request for the purpose of writing this post.

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