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On Hanukkah
When Father brings out the menorahs from a box in the closet, a young girl knows it is time for Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights. Time for the whole family to get together to play dreidels and sing and dance. Time to remember the story of Judah Maccabee. Time to eat potato latkes. And, of course, time for presents.
But most of all, it is time to light the menorahs and remember the miracle of Hanukkah. The inspiring light from the miracle of the great menorah will touch readers of all faiths as a symbol of freedom, devotion, and the joyful spirit of the holiday. A glossary is included to help readers pronounce and understand some of the words in the book.
Cathy Goldberg Fishman takes young readers to a family Hanukkah celebration in her gentle text, illustrated with warmth and color by Melanie W. Hall.
But most of all, it is time to light the menorahs and remember the miracle of Hanukkah. The inspiring light from the miracle of the great menorah will touch readers of all faiths as a symbol of freedom, devotion, and the joyful spirit of the holiday. A glossary is included to help readers pronounce and understand some of the words in the book.
Cathy Goldberg Fishman takes young readers to a family Hanukkah celebration in her gentle text, illustrated with warmth and color by Melanie W. Hall.
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 18, 2017
"When Father brings out the menorahs from a box in the closet, a young girl knows it is time for Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights. Time for the whole family to get together to play dreidels and sing and dance. Time to remember the story of Judah Maccabee. Time to eat potato latkes. And, of course, time for presents. But most of all, it is time to light the menorahs and remember the miracle of Hanukkah. The inspiring light from the miracle of the great menorah will touch readers of all faiths as a symbol of freedom, devotion, and the joyful spirit of the holiday. A glossary is included to help readers pronounce and understand some of the words in the book."
January 29, 2022
When our children were small, we read this along with our Christmas stories. I have had a menorah on my shelf as long as I can remember though I do not burn the candles or follow the traditions, I love its beauty and the reminder of its meaning.
On Hanukkah is a beautiful telling of the Hanukkah story through the eyes of an excited young girl who describes her family’s way of observing the traditions over the course of the eight days. An excellent way to teach and learn about the Festival of Lights, how it originated, what the various symbols mean and how they bring joy, hope and peace to those who celebrate them. As a Christian I was reminded of many similarities in our own liturgical and other simpler celebrations.
One small criticism—and not everyone would necessarily agree with me on this—I did not care for the illustrations. They are bright and colorful in keeping with the theme of the eight days of light, but they were too impressionistic for my taste. If that is the type of art you like, then this book will probably appeal to you, but I lean heavily to realism in art, especially when families are depicted. I seem to recall that the pictures were also a drawback for my children, who also want other children to look like themselves. Aside from that, a lovely addition to your holiday reading fare.
On Hanukkah is a beautiful telling of the Hanukkah story through the eyes of an excited young girl who describes her family’s way of observing the traditions over the course of the eight days. An excellent way to teach and learn about the Festival of Lights, how it originated, what the various symbols mean and how they bring joy, hope and peace to those who celebrate them. As a Christian I was reminded of many similarities in our own liturgical and other simpler celebrations.
One small criticism—and not everyone would necessarily agree with me on this—I did not care for the illustrations. They are bright and colorful in keeping with the theme of the eight days of light, but they were too impressionistic for my taste. If that is the type of art you like, then this book will probably appeal to you, but I lean heavily to realism in art, especially when families are depicted. I seem to recall that the pictures were also a drawback for my children, who also want other children to look like themselves. Aside from that, a lovely addition to your holiday reading fare.
October 18, 2013
A boy who is a narrator in this story watches his father taking a box out of the closet to branch the candlesticks called menorahs. Then he talks about how putting menorahs in the window represents the light of hope in the darkness, and how dark must have been for Jewish people when Assyrian soldiers captured the Holy Temple and put out the light of the menorah. And his grandmother tells him that after Jews recaptured the Temple in the past, Jews declared a holiday for all generations and lighted menorahs to remember the miracle of Hanukkah. The narrator tells the true meaning of Hanukkah and the beauty behind the story in their Jewish religion. As a teacher, I will use this text to help students to see the beauty of Hannukkah and help students to understand their religious perspectives. With this teaching strategy, I will help my students to eliminate their stereotypes that they might have against Jews or Judaism and learn to respect their cultures. I loved how Cathy Goldberg Fishman (writer) and Melanie W. Hall (illustrator) made this book because the story is very realistic, authentic, and genuine as a little boy would tell his story in real life. This book has a beautiful summary and beautiful pictures.
December 11, 2024
I used this book for a Family Culture Night, where I hosted a table for the library, featuring different diverse books through culture, race, family, practices and beliefs, and so much more, even including neurodivergence, mixed identities, refugees, immigrants, and more. Like the "On Shabbat" book, I liked this one, but I did find others that I liked more.
January 7, 2009
To the chagrin of my family I usually read this aloud while we play dreidel. They like to remind me that we are not Jewish, but i ignore them.
November 11, 2013
One of the best explanations about the story of Hanukkah that I've found in a picture book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews