Runaway Dreidel!

by Lesléa Newman, Kyrsten Brooker (Illustrator)

A fantastical Chanukah journey

"'Twas the first night of Chanukah and on the fifth floor,
There was holiday hustling and bustling galore . . .
Grandma was slicing up two chocolate babkas,
Grandpa was grating potatoes for latkes."

On the first night of Chanukah a lucky boy receives a shiny new dreidel, but once it starts spinning it just won’t stop! With a mind of its own, the dreidel spins quickly across the floor, out the door, and on down the street, with its excited owner and family in hot pursuit. Soon the whole city joins the chase to catch the runaway toy. Where is that dreidel heading, and will it ever stop spinning? This is one journey worth pursuing right up to its magical conclusion!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Jewish, Fiction, Religion, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Lesléa Newman (born 1955, Brooklyn, NY) is the author of over 50 books including Heather Has Two Mommies, A Letter To Harvey Milk, Writing From The Heart, In Every Laugh a Tear, The Femme Mystique, Still Life with Buddy, Fat Chance and Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear.
She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations.
Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists.
Ms. Newman wrote Heather Has Two Mommies, the first children's book to portray lesbian families in a positive way, and has followed up this pioneering work with several more children's books on lesbian and gay families: Gloria Goes To Gay Pride, Belinda's Bouquet, Too Far Away to Touch, and Saturday Is Pattyday.
She is also the author of many books for adults that deal with lesbian identity, Jewish identity and the intersection and collision between the two. Other topics Ms. Newman explores include AIDS, eating disorders, butch/femme relationships and sexual abuse. Her award-winning short story, A Letter To Harvey Milk has been made into a film and adapted for the stage.
In addition to being an author, Ms. Newman is a popular guest lecturer, and has spoken on college campuses across the country including Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Oregon, Bryn Mawr College, Smith College and the University of Judaism. From 2005-2009, Lesléa was a faculty member of the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. Currently, she is the Poet Laureate of Northampton, MA.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book. It starts off as a "take-off" on The Night Before Christmas. I actually didn't like that as I did not want to read a Jewish children's book that was a derivative of a Christmas story. That verged on being offensive for me. BUT...the writing quickly picks up and it's energy is so fabulous it leaves The Night Before Christmas spinning round and round on the ground while this book soars into the night sky. It's fun and exciting and magical and the rhymes are truly wonderful. The illustrations are really clever IMO. They are fun and quite modern and edgy but also very shtetl Jewish at the same time. I wish it did not return to a referral to The Night Before Christmas at the end but I suppose given the shape of the piece this was an inevitability. However, this is a big issue for me and yet the rhythm and excitement of the writing and the warmth of the illustrations truly manages to overcome that caveat. I love it.

[Teresa Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading children's books about dreidels and other Hannukah traditions, and this one was just fabulous! The illustrations are gorgeous-- cut-outs of different textures, photos, and crayon-like sky all layered together beautifully. Like the story itself, the art style is also a little mad-cap: the buildings and characters lean in like they're auditioning for a Tim Burton film. So many little details of the holiday traditions are sprinkled in the backgrounds and the rhyming verse. I'm not Jewish, so I'm judging this as an outsider, but I loved this book.

[lye · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly one of my favorites to read for the winter/holiday season! the story and illustrations are so much fun for everyone.

it has a similar feel to "'twaz the night before christmas".

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soon as I saw the title "Runaway Dreidel!" wow! I knew that any book with such a hilarious title would be something special. But now I'm seeing that the author is none other than Lesléa Newman. For joy -- previously I've rave reviewed a few of her books.

This whimsical tale could count as the Jewish version of "The Night Before Christmas." Thanks so much, Ms. Newman, for concept and words and execution.

Thanks too for your splendid illustrations, Krysten Brooker. Like Amadeo Modigliani meets Norman Rockwell meets Marc Chagall meets old timey Jews in a neighborhood where I once lived, the Lower East Side New York.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this picture book! I was worried it was going to be a Jewish version of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" because of the opening lines of this story in verse (the ending lines are also quotations from the poem), but I founds this to be a charming and fun khanike story of a family living in a torn paper version of either the Lower East Side or Brooklyn, following one child's dreidl on its fantastic voyage!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Reading picture books in preparation for Hanukkah (my first since I started talking to a rabbi about converting)! This story is super cute and fun, with some silly good humour. The rhymes were a ton of fun. The illustrations were cute. Overall this was a fun story, and definitely worth the read if you're looking for a Hanukkah picture book!

[Sarah Limb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Jewish version of, “‘Twas the night before Christmas…” I don’t know much about the Jewish religion or the Hanukkah holiday and I don’t feel like I learned much more after this book. For example I got confused when they started referring to Hanukkah as a Chanukkah? It was still fun to read! I was entertained. :)

[Christine Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Countdown to Kindergarten: Letter D

Trying to be more inclusive, so dreidels were discussed and given to children to take home along with some gelt and instructions. This simple book is fun for all.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is a Hanukkah picture book told in rhyme. It’s no The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming.

I borrowed this from interlibrary loan.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically Twas the Night Before Christmas but about Hanukkah.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute rhyming picture book-follows scheme of “twas the night before Christmas.”

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The same rhyme scheme as the Night Before Christmas but about Hanukkah, with all the appropriate accoutrements, latkes, babkas, etc. My only comment is the use of the term menorah instead of hanukkiah but then the rhyme meter would be off and this doesn't detract from beauty of the story.

[Erin Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let Us Wait for Light & Miracles

[Maria Botelho]

I have beautiful memories of my blended family and my first Hannukah with this book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

With beautiful mixed media illustrations, a young boy chases his runaway dreidel in a Hanukkah adventure. Fun story with lots of Hanukkah traditions to learn about.

[Kristen McBee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the attempt to create a Hanukkah version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. It's a fun read, has a little magical mystery in it, and the kids enjoy it, but it's only okay, I think. Not sure what's missing for me.

[Asho · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids heard this story at a library holiday story time. It was very cute. The librarian had them up spinning like dreidels. This makes a nice introduction to Hanukkah.

[Ala Abdallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable to read. It starts off with a young boy who spins his dreidel while his family prepares for Chanukah. As he reaches to stop it from spinning it goes out of control. It spins out of the apartment, out of the building and on to the street. Soon, he and all of his family and neighbors are chasing after it until it eventually gets to the beach and flies up into the sky. Many Jewish words were used such as "latke" a meal and "kosher" meaning clean and without dairy or pork. It was also written in rhyme with every two sentences rhyming with one another. It had some humor in and the words were easy to understand. The illustrations also made this book enjoyable to read by showing us diversity such as a neighbor with wreath on her door and Greek restaurant near a Kosher Jewish restaurant. I felt it was diverse in that it not only spoke about a Jewish community, but about a friendly and multicultural community where everyone respected one another.

[Cassandra Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked that this book incorporated traditional Jewish ideals/symbols and also presented it in a format that most American children have been exposed to. I think this makes the story more relatable for all children in the classroom as it has a common theme they are familiar with while integrating new ideas. I would use this for a Christmas aronud the world theme or simply to expose children to cultures and religions that live within their community that they may not have much knowledge of.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

when i was around five, my best friend got me a personalized version of this book that substituted all of the character's in the book with the names of my friends and family. needless to say this was my favorite book for a long long time because it felt like a magical adventure story written about me!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was light and fun and the kids loved it. The boy chases the dreidel that he spun a little too well all through town, into the countryside, and across the sea before he eventually has to give up the chase as it crosses the horizon into outer space and shines in the night sky like a star. I really liked that it was told with a simple rhyming text that was easy for the kids to understand.

[Terry]

This is a fun story, that is quite descriptive poetically and visually. See why this was a hit with our preschooler!

[Nancy Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy's new dreidel slips out of his hands and leads him on a chase through town, into the country, out to the ocean, and into the sky. He describes the adventure (and many other Chanukah traditions) in a poem.
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Funny and rhyming and awesome illustrations!

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, I'm not sure what to think about this. . . the artwork is fun and the story isn't bad, but why make the text mimic the form of The Night Before Christmas?

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming Chanukah story about a dreidel that spins out of control and leads a family on a merry chase. Rhyming text and lovely, textured illustrations.

themes: dreidel, Chanukah, family

[Elyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story for children who have some knowledge on Chanukah. Would need a little bit of background information for beginners; some of the terms are matched with images, but might need explaining.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First library book from the Anona Elementary Library.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one at story time and the kids really enjoyed it. It has great illustrations and is a fun twist on "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from a young Jewish boy's perspective.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about a runaway top. The illustrations are unique and it is nice to see references to Jewish culture beyond the events of Hanukkah in the story.