Here are picture books for all your Hanukkah needs! Folks who celebrate will light the first candle on December 7, so this is the perfect time to pick up some books for your family or to learn about this holiday. As always, if you’re not finding what you’re looking for here, feel free to reach out to one of our friendly librarians, who are eager to help you find what you’re looking for! (Book summaries are from the library’s catalog!)
All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins. Join the five sisters back in 1912, on the Lower East Side of NYC, and watch as preparations for Hanukkah are made. When Gertie, the youngest, is not allowed to help prepare latkes, she throws a tantrum. Banished to the girls’ bedroom, she can still hear the sounds and smell the smells of a family getting ready to celebrate. But when Papa comes home she is given the best job of all: lighting the first candle on the menorah.
The Eight Knights of Hanukkah by Leslie Kimmelman. It’s the last night of Hanukkah and everyone is doing their part for the big celebration, but a dragon called Dreadful has other ideas. He roams the countryside, interrupting the party preparations. Lady Sadie must call upon the Eight Knights of Hanukkah to perform deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery and put an end to the dragon’s shenanigans.
The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Godol by Arthur A. Levine. Nate Gadol is a great big spirit with eyes as shiny as golden coins and a smile that is lantern bright. He can make anything last as long as it is needed, like a tiny bit of oil that must stretch for eight nights, a flower that needs to stay fresh to cheer up someone ailing, or a small lump of chocolate that grows to allow the Glasers to treat their children over the holiday and, during a harsh winter when medicine is needed more than sweets, spurs them to share what little they have with the O’Malleys.
Hanukkah Upside Down by Elissa Brent Weismann. From their homes in New York and New Zealand, cousins Noah and Nora decide to have a competition. Winter versus summer: Who can have the world’s best Hanukkah? But as the eight nights of Hanukkah go on, the contest proves tougher than they imagined. Even as each cousin celebrates the holiday with their own unique traditions, they realize they have more in common than they thought.
Little Red Ruthie by Gloria Koster. It was a chilly winter in the northern woods, but Ruthie did not mind. Dressed in her favorite puffy red coat, she was going to spend Hanukkah with her grandmother, who lived on the other side of the forest. Ruthie was bringing sour cream and applesauce to go along with the yummy latkes. She carefully packed her basket and kissed her mother good-bye. Snow began to fall. Soon Ruthie was lost in a thicket, and she was not alone. Someone was hiding behind the tree, and when he jumped out, Ruthie found herself face to face with a wolf. Ruthie will have to convince the wolf that eating latkes will be tastier than eating her!
The Mexican Dreidel by Linda Elovitz Marshall. Danielito loves Janucá, especially playing dreidel. This year, he is old enough to visit Bobe by himself. Piñatas hang from the trees, and the kids in Bobe’s neighborhood play with Mexican tops called trompos. Danielito does not have a trompo, but he has a dreidel. “What is that?” “¿Qué es eso?” the other kids ask, as they invite him to join their game. The trompos follow the dreidel as it spins through the neighborhood. And Danielito invited his new friends, nuevos amigos, to Bobe’s house to celebrate Janucá.
The Ninth Night of Hanukkah by Erica S. Perl. It’s Hanukkah, and Max and Rachel are excited to light the menorah in their family’s new apartment. But, unfortunately, their Hanukkah box is missing. So now they have no menorah, candles, dreidels, or, well, anything! Luckily, their neighbors are happy to help, offering thoughtful and often humorous stand-in items each night. And then, just as Hanukkah is about to end, Max and Rachel, inspired by the shamash (“helper”) candle, have a brilliant idea: they’re going to celebrate the Ninth Night of Hanukkah as a way to say thanks to everyone who’s helped them!
Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas by Pamela Ehrenberg. Instead of latkes, this family celebrates Hanukkah with tasty Indian dosas. To her brother’s chagrin, little Sadie won’t stop climbing on everything both at home and at the Indian grocery store, even while preparing the dosas. As the family puts the finishing touches on their holiday preparations, they accidentally get locked out of the house. Sadie and her climbing skills just may be exactly what is needed to save the day.
The Three Latkes by Eric A. Kimmel. When three Hanukkah latkes fight over which of them tastes the best, the winner is decided by the family cat. Which will he choose? The excited latkes can’t wait to find out, but perhaps they should be careful what they wish for!
Way Too Many Latkes!: A Hanukkah in Chelm by Linda Glaser. When Faigel can’t find her latke recipe her husband asks the rabbi, whose advice leads them to make way too many latkes, in this Hanukkah story about the foolish people of Chelm.
A Wild, Wild Hanukkah by Jo Gershman. On the first night of Hanukkah, a polar bear comes to the party, and for the next seven nights, more wild animals join the fun–singing, making latkes, and spinning dreidels–before Hanukkah ends and it is time for bed.
