Hanukkah Is Coming!

September 14, 2015
In this board book, a companion to 2014’s Shabbat Is Coming!, rhythmic verse follows a family as its members light the menorah, fry latkes, enjoy dreidels and gelt, and spend time together during Hanukkah. The title repeats as a refrain after each of Newman’s gentle rhymes, giving the book a soothing structure: “Winter is near./ Long nights are here./ Hanukkah is coming./ All in a row/ Our candles will glow./ Hanukkah is coming.” Skillful use of drop shadows brings a subtle three-dimensional quality to Garofoli’s crisp digital illustrations, while the images’ canvaslike textures are suggestive of the homey closeness of the family’s Hanukkah’s celebrations. Ages 1–4.

October 1, 2015

Toddler-PreS-In this board book, a rhyming couplet on each page ("We've practiced each song./We'll all sing along.") is followed by the words "Hanukkah is coming" as a round-faced family of mother, father, brother, sister, and dog light candles, fry latkes, exchange presents, eat gelt, and "march like Maccabees." VERDICT An adequate but not particularly compelling offering for young children already familiar with the holiday.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

A simple introduction for very young children to some of the ways Hanukkah is celebrated. A girl, a boy, their mother and father, and their playful dog prepare for Hanukkah in this sweetly illustrated board book. In rhyming text readers follow the family as they make preparations for the eight-day celebration. The candles are set in the menorah; the latkes go "Hiss, sizzle, pop" in the kitchen, while the children look in excitement at the wrapped gifts that will later be traded. The songs have been practiced and learned, and so has the dreidel game. Chocolate-covered faces mean the eagerly anticipated Hanukkah gelt has already been sampled. With paper hats, swords, and shields, the children (and their dog) march like Maccabees. At the end of each page the text is brought to a close with the titular phrase, "Hanukkah is coming," the repetition contributing to the mounting excitement. Finally, the sun sets, the menorah has been lit, and as the family contemplates the stars through the window of their home, the book ends with a satisfying "Hurray! Hanukkah is here!" Garofoli's richly colored cartoon illustrations contribute to the playfulness of the story. A joyful and sweet introduction to the holiday. (Board book. 1-4) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2015
A simple introduction for very young children to some of the ways Hanukkah is celebrated. A girl, a boy, their mother and father, and their playful dog prepare for Hanukkah in this sweetly illustrated board book. In rhyming text readers follow the family as they make preparations for the eight-day celebration. The candles are set in the menorah; the latkes go "Hiss, sizzle, pop" in the kitchen, while the children look in excitement at the wrapped gifts that will later be traded. The songs have been practiced and learned, and so has the dreidel game. Chocolate-covered faces mean the eagerly anticipated Hanukkah gelt has already been sampled. With paper hats, swords, and shields, the children (and their dog) march like Maccabees. At the end of each page the text is brought to a close with the titular phrase, "Hanukkah is coming," the repetition contributing to the mounting excitement. Finally, the sun sets, the menorah has been lit, and as the family contemplates the stars through the window of their home, the book ends with a satisfying "Hurray! Hanukkah is here!" Garofoli's richly colored cartoon illustrations contribute to the playfulness of the story. A joyful and sweet introduction to the holiday. (Board book. 1-4)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2015
The family from Shabbat Is Coming! and other board books in publisher Kar-Ben's series about Jewish life eagerly awaits the start of Hanukkah. Winter is near. / Long nights are here. / Hanukkah is coming. The yarmulke-wearing dad, pigtailed big sister, and strawberry-blondies mother and sonplus cheerful doglight candles, fry latkes, sing songs, spin dreidels, and pretend to be Maccabees, all shown in warm digital-looking illustrations. The timeline is a titch confusing (are these scenes all in flashback? Is the family doing prep work? Are they imagining what Hanukkah will be like this year?), since it's not until the last spread that Hanukkah is here! But the Hanukkah is coming refrain, coupled with simple, child-friendly rhymes, is reassuring, and effectively builds anticipation for the Festival of Lights. elissa gershowitz

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)