Children's Book Publishers

Every year, we see more and more Hanukkah books for children. The children's Hanukkah books below emphasize the importance of this Jewish holiday, family activities during Hanukkah, folktales about Hanukka, the history of Hanukkah, and sharing Hanukkah with friends and neighbors. The children's Hanukkah books include an excellent anthology, engaging picture books, a book of poetry and history, and a chapter book. There are books for preschoolers to middle schoolers.

1. Celebrate Hanukkah
Celebrate Hanukkah is part of the National Geographic Society's excellent Holidays Around the World series. The striking photographs show Jewish children all over the world, including Italy, Poland, Ghana, India and Israel, celebrating Hanukkah. Author Deborah Heiligman provides information about the meaning, symbols, and celebration of Hanukkah. At the end of the book are several pages of additional resources, including a glossary, bibliography, recipe for potato latkes, and instructions for playing Dreidel, among other things. I recommend it for all ages.

(National Geographic Society, 2006. ISBN: 0792259246)

2. The Stone Lamp
The Stone Lamp: Eight Stories of Hanukkah Through History combines free verse, history, and art very effectively. Karen Hesse wrote and Brian Pinkney illustrated this book for 9-14+ year olds. Each section includes a page of history with a beautiful decorative border, a full page painting, and a poem written in the voice of a child from that period of history. The book starts with "The Crusades" and ends with the "Assasination of Rabin."

(Hyperion Books for Children, 2003. ISBN: 0786806192)

3. The Trees of the Dancing Goats
Trisha and Richard's grandparents, who are from the Ukraine and Soviet Russia, and their mother are living on a farm in the 1930s. They are enjoying their own Hanukkah preparations when they discover their Christian neighbors are too sick to cut and decorate their Christmas trees. They do it for them. Their neighbors thank them with a carved menorah. This heartwarming tale by Patricia Polacco is a family favorite.

(Simon & Schuster, 1996. ISBN: 0689808623)

4. A Hanukkah Treasury
This is a wonderful collection of more than two dozen poems, stories, songs, Jewish history, and recipes. The book was edited by Eric Kimmel, who also wrote many of the sections. The colorful and exuberant illustrations by Emily Lisker create a feeling of celebration. This is an excellent book for children of all ages.

(Henry Holt and Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-8050-5293-3)

5. The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes
This picture book was written by Linda Glaser, with cheerful artwork by Nancy Cote. Rachel's family is preparing for an evening of latkes with guests. Every year, they invite their elderly neighbor to come, but she stubbornly refuses. This year, Rachel is even more stubborn, and the little girl cleverly comes up with a way to get her involved. I recommend this book for four- to eight-year-olds.

(Albert Whitman & Co., 1997. ISBN: 0807508411)