Uri and the King of Darkness: A Hanukkah Story

PreS-Gr 2–It’s the first night of Hanukkah, and Uri and his sister Shir are awaiting their father’s arrival so they can light the Hanukkah candles. But Dad is late! Uri worries about all the things that could happen. With the Hanukkah story of enemy armies on his mind, he imagines such an army invading his town. Uri and his mom look out the window at a rainstorm, which adds to the ominous tone. The illustrations throughout are delightfully complex. The people in the streets use umbrellas to shield them from the rain; Shir uses an umbrella as a war shield against the invaders. The enemy king is a dark blue, cape-wearing monster that depicts evil in a way that children can process. Uri imagines his father fighting the enemy with a flashlight, effecting the symbolism of Hanukkah. The story is concise and told in rhyme, and the artwork is a visual smorgasbord. Words and illustrations are tightly integrated—each is better with the other. The book ends happily. Back matter includes the Hanukkah prayers, information about the holiday, and an illustration of the enemy king eating one of the jelly doughnuts that Uri’s dad brought home.