Hanukkah

First of all, major kudos to Dorling-Kindersley Publishers for not just coming out with another Chanukah book to coincide with the flood of Xmas books at this time of year, but creating beautiful Shabbat and Passover board books to accompany it. (as I've said before, I am always slightly annoyed at the inclusion of Chanukah to the EXclusion of the many more important Jewish occasions throughout the year - let's be honest: it USUALLY only gets noticed because it takes place in December's "holiday season" - but not this time!) So what's in this book? Everything a kid needs to know about Chanukah: the story, the food, the symbols - everything. I do sometimes ad-lib a bit with the text, bringing it down to the level and understanding of the child I'm reading it to, but as a springboard for discussion, and for its outstanding high-quality pictures, it's terrific. I worried at first that children might find the depiction of the Temple scenes a little confusing since all the "actors" in the scenes are children, but in almost three years of reading this book, nobody has ever wondered why the Maccabees or the Syrians are all just little kids, so I guess I'm the only mixed-up one here. There's plenty of counting practice (I don't find leaving out the shamash confusing, as a previous reviewer did... it only makes sense that you leave it out: otherwise, you're lighting three candles on the second night, etc...), and review of other basic concepts like shapes. There's even a little "quiz" at the back of the book - something I haven't seen in other DK "my first" board books. With its universal and non-denominational exploration of the holiday, this book is a terrific, high-quality addition to any Jewish family's seasonal bookshelf.

Excellent for the kids to start understanding the jewish traditions. Arrive on scheduelle great service.

What a great starter book for young children. My 1-year old loves the photos -- one of the great things about the DK books because babies respond so well to them. And I appreciate an overview of the holiday that doesn't imply "the right way to do it." This should be appropriate and enjoyable for all Jewish homes. I also recommend 1st Shabbat and 1st Passover.

This is a well done Hanukkah book and very educational. This book makes a great holiday gift. Babies and preschoolers will like its many brightly colored pictures. Older children and adults can also learn from this book.