Eight Sweet Nights, A Festival of Lights: A Hanukkah Story

PreS-Gr 3–A diverse Jewish family visits the grandparents for Hanukkah. After arriving, the children help their grandmother prepare latkes: “Grandma’s gentle hands guide yours, turning oodles of onions and piles of potatoes into delicious latkes.” Shortly thereafter, their grandfather fries up sufganiyot, and the extended family plays dreidel, a game of chance with a four-sided top. As the “stars start to twinkle overhead,” they light the first candle in the menorah. After gift-giving and dancing, it’s time for the family to return home, but the children look forward to the upcoming seven nights of Hanukkah. Back matter provides detailed information about Hanukkah, including the triumph of the Maccabees and the miracle of the small amount of oil that burned brightly in the reclaimed temple for eight nights. The color blue is used throughout for clothing, furniture items, decorations, and the background evening color, reminding readers that Hanukkah takes place during the longest nights of the year. Yiddish and Hebrew words are used throughout, always with an explanation at the bottom of the page. Alliterative text, careful word choice, and factual explanations create a warm and informative story of Jewish faith and family.