Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story

Fran Manushkin's `Latkes and Applesauce' is one of my favorite Hanukkah books for children. It features a close-knit and kindhearted Jewish family and teaches important lessons about how we should treat those with whom we share G-d's creation. Plus it's a lot of fun! The story is about the Menashe family, who lived a long time ago somewhere near Minsk. Papa and Mama are poor tailors, and their daughter Rebecca and their son Ezra are `wonderful children who help their Mama and Papa'. Like most Jewish families, they love eating latkes (potato pancakes) with applesauce during Hanukkah. Unfortunately, a huge blizzard - `as if all of heaven's featherbeds had burst!' - begins on the first night of Hanukkah, completely covering the Menashes' potatoes and making it impossible for them to have latkes. The family is understandably disappointed, but they sip their soup, hope for a miracle and continue to cheerfully celebrate the holiday. Then Rebecca hears crying outside, and brings in a wet, motherless kitten. Despite the fact that they have so little, the Menashes agree to share what they have with the kitten because she is one of G-d's creatures. The next night the blizzard gets even worse, and Ezra brings in a starving dog; the family makes the same decision. Rebecca and Ezra are delighted by their new pets (who play dreidel together!), but Papa and Mama warn them to be careful about naming them because `a name must fit like a glove'. The blizzard continues to rage and their soup and then their bread are eventually gone. However, on the last night of Hanukkah the storm ends, and the Menashes are rewarded for their compassion and generosity with a miracle - and the kitten and the dog get names that fit like a glove. In telling this tale, Manushkin has a breezy, folksy style and a fine sense of humor. Robin Spowart's misty colored chalk illustrations capture the Menashe family's love and warmth and evoke a beautiful feeling of Old World nostalgia. There is also a brief retelling of the traditional Hanukkah story of the Macabees, a delicious-looking recipe for latkes (of course!), instructions for playing dreidel, and a short bibliography - which just happens to include my favorite Hanukkah children's book `Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins', by Eric Kimmel. If you're looking for a book that captures the sweetness and coziness of Hanukkah, or a book to introduce children (Jewish or non-Jewish) to the holiday, you can't go wrong with `Latkes and Applesauce'. Personally, though, I prefer latkes with sour cream, but `Sour Cream' is a lousy name for a cat!

I loved the supportiveness of the family through the hardships of early winter, poverty, and hunger, as well as the compassion for "all God's creatures": the stray kitten and dog. This is a heartwarming little Hanukkah story that transcends the holiday itself, telling a larger parable about kindness, faith, and optimism. I recommend it for all ages.

Students in our predominantly Gentile elementary school enjoy listening to this heartwarming tale of a poor Eastern European Jewish family near the city of Minsk celebrating Hanukkah during a winter blizzard. Their potatoes and apples are hidden beneath the freezing snow before they have a chance to make latkes and applesauce for their celebration. Despite their hunger, they take in a stray kitten and dog, who are able to locate potatoes and apples on the eighth night of Hanukkah after the skies clear.Since our students know so little about Jewish family life, this tender story gives them a glimpse into a loving family and the way they celebrate the holidays during this particular harsh winter.The book concludes with a brief description of Hanukkah and a recipe for making latkes (which is delicious, since I made them the first year we got this book for our school library).

A poor family struggles to make ends meet when an enormous snow storm keeps thems from getting supplies. When they realize they will have no potatoes for latkes at Hanukkah, they come across a cat and a dog. Despite the fact that they can't feed themselves, they take the pets in. In this spirit of sharing the pets have a surprise of their own.