One Candle

I too, was curious about the placement of the candle in the window and my Temple confirmed that it is indeed a mitzvah to turn the menorrah toward the passer-by and the world outside so that they read it as one would light it. There is nothing amiss in the illustrations here. Mitzvah, yes!

I find it appauling that simply because this is a non-kosher family being depicted (as my family is) it is considered an ERROR. Equally appauling is the fact that because there is one belief about how the candles should be lit, all other beliefs are suddenly invalidated. But most appauling of all is that we finally have a book that not only takes the holiday seriously but celebrates it with such sincerity and a sense of hope, and yet you sit there and try to find reasons to discredit it. I for one think this is a truly amazing book, and I am more than happy to share it with my family.

I agree with other reviewers that it is a pity that Ms. Bunting's editors didn't assign someone knowledgeable to review the text and help the artist with moon phases and menorah placement. On the other hand, many of the Jews who love and celebrate Hanukkah do not practice strictly in accordance with dietary and other religious laws.What makes this book special is showing a festive, cheerful holiday having such significance in the practice of one's religion and being one's true self that Grandma, as a young girl, risked death to observe it. Scholars have often been somewat dismissive of Hanukkah, regarding it as a minor holiday, and yet it is a favorite for many people. This story helps us understand why. There is a message of hope, since Grandma has survived and is surrounded by a loving family, but the deft characterization of Great-Aunt Rose shows that suffering a horror like the Holocaust stays with one for life.As a school librarian, I'm finding this a powerful introduction to the Holocaust, as well as to Hanukkah. The children are baffled and horrified at the idea that anyone would be imprisoned, starved, killed, "just because..." - and even more aghast when we point out that the hate and killings continue now with Jews AND other ethnic/religious groups. The narrator's musings at the end of the story as to why Grandma wants to remember such a painful time in her life allow us to look at what we have to remember to keep it from happening again.

This story shows how each family can add its own memories to a traditional celebration, blending in things that make it more meaningful. In this incredible Hanukkah story, we see a layer of family history presented as part of the larger faith drama. This is emphasized in the art as well -- powerful duotone-like drawings are integrated with the full-color illustrations, giving the feeling of the past coming to the table with the stories told. I was particularly struck by the incredible faces in this picture book -- they are so alive with individuality, authenticity, and emotion.One customer reviewer has commented on the brisket and sour cream as being "nontraditional." I find this as a plus, personally. The traditional applesauce IS there (this reviewer must not have noticed), yet the family is not presented as a stereotyped cliche -- they have brought their own traditional dinner in with the rest of their Hanukkah foods and the one potato, which becomes the one candle, representing their struggles to maintain their faith, hope, and traditions alive through a Holocaust death camp. Considering the topic, this could be a hard book to read, but it is not -- it is sensitively told, a celebration of strength and resisliency, determination, family and faith. If there is a problem with how the menorah is lighted (I can't say), that would be a shame and should be corrected in reprintings, but I feel that the power of the book lies elsewhere and should be appreciated for its fullness.

In Eve Bunting's One Candle it is during a Hanukkah dinner that relatives revisit the Holocaust with their children, telling them of their brave attempt to celebrate Hanukkah even in a Nazi prison camp. Add the warm and beautifully realistic drawings by K. Wendy Popp, and you have a superbly presented account of Hanukkah's meaning to different generations.