“Runaway Dreidel!” by Leslea Newman

I spent a lot of time looking through the  Chanukah section at the library yesterday.  I found many great books for older children that gave lovely in-depth descriptions of the meaning behind the holiday and its traditions.  Finding a story for a younger child was a bit challenging, however I did come across one that I like a lot called “Runaway Dreidel!” by Leslea Newman.

Rowen liked the fast pace of this story of a little boy chasing after his favorite dreidel.  It does not explore the meaning behind Chanukah but rather introduces the young reader to vocabulary related to the holiday and other aspects of Jewish culture, such as dreidel, latkes, menorah, challah, chocolate gelt, and the horah.

Here the author describes her inspiration for the story:

"One day I read the wonderful poem, "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore and decided it would be fun to write a poem with the same rhythm and rhyme scheme for kids who celebrate Chanukah. So I did!”

 The illustrations by Kyrsten Brooker, full of the bustling movement of the holidays, and the expressive faces she’s given to her characters, are a big part of what makes this such an enjoyable read.