Hanukkah Picture Books

Hanukkah Sameach! Hanukkah 2019 will begin tonight and end on December 30th.  Here are ten Hanukkah themed picture books.

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins & Paul O. Zelinsky - Acclaimed author Emily Jenkins (A Greyhound, a Groundhog) and Caldecott Award-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky (Rapunzel) bring the beloved All-of-a-Kind Family to life in a new format. Fans, along with those just meeting the five girls ("all of a kind," as their parents say), will join them 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 then Papa comes home and she is allowed out--and given the best job of all: lighting the first candle on the menorah.

Boris and Stella and the Perfect Gift by Dara Goldman - Boris is a musician, playing the songs he learned growing up in Russia. Stella is a baker, baking cakes and pastries like her father used to back in Italy. Boris and Stella live in the city and are best friends. They like movies, hats, and each other. At holiday time, Stella wants to give Boris the perfect present for Hanukkah. She wants him to know how special he is. Boris wants to give Stella the perfect present for Christmas--she means so much to him. But perfect presents cost money and their savings banks contain very little. To make their dreams of perfect presents come true, Boris and Stella each sacrifice something very special.

Hanukkah Bear by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka - Bubba Brayna makes the best latkes in the village, and on the first night of Hanukkah, the scent of her cooking wakes a hungry, adorable bear from his hibernation.  He lumbers into town to investigate, and Bubba Brayna--who does not see or hear very well--mistakes him for her rabbi. She welcomes the bear inside to play the dreidel game, light the menorah, and enjoy a scrumptious meal.
However, after her well-fed guest leaves, there's a knock at the door--it's the rabbi, and all of Brayna's other friends, arriving for dinner.  But there are no latkes left--and together, they finally figure out who really ate them.

Hanukkah Cookies With Sprinkles by David A. Adler, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler - Sara sees an old man pick up a bruised apple from the discarded pile next to the local market. She wonders if he's hungry, as she eats her own breakfast. She wonders if he's lonely, as she shares Shabbat dinner with Mom and Grandma. As Hanukkah approaches, a season of light and hope, Sara discovers that tzedakah can be as bright and colorful as a Hanukkah cookie with sprinkles.
A Note for Families provides context about the story and traditions of Hanukkah, and about the meaning of tzedakah, and challenges readers to think about ways they can give tzedakah, too.

Hanukkah Hamster by Michelle Markel, illustrated by André Ceolin - The holiday season is a busy time, with people bustling about. And it's a busy time for Edgar, a cabdriver who conveys passengers around the city. All day long Edgar drives his cab; many people going to many different places. At the end of one busy day, Edgar is so tired he climbs into the backseat of his cab to take a nap. But he discovers he is not alone. A little hamster has somehow been left behind from one of the many fares Edgar has driven. Edgar dutifully reports the hamster to the cab company's Lost and Found department, but in the meantime the little creature needs to be taken care of. Edgar brings the hamster to his apartment, making it a bed, feeding it, and even giving it a name, Chickpea. As Edgar starts his Hanukah observance, with no family nearby to share in it, the little hamster becomes more than a casual companion to the lonely man. But what happens when Chickpea's owner is found?

A Hanukkah With Mazel by Joel Edward Stein, illustrated by Elisa Vavouri - Misha, a poor artist, has no one to celebrate Hanukkah with until he discovers a hungry cat in his barn. The lucky little cat, whom Misha names Mazel, inspires Misha to turn each night of Hanukkah into something special. He doesn't have money for Hanukkah candles, but he can use his artistic skills to bring light to his home--as Mazel brings good luck to his life.

Little Red Ruthie by Gloria Koster, illustrated by Sue Eastland - I am going to eat you up! With jars full of sour cream and applesauce in her basket, Little Red Ruthie is on her way to Bubbe Basha's house to make latkes for Hanukkah! But along the path she meets a scary wolf who wants to eat her. Can Ruthie use her wits and powers of persuasion to convince the wolf that latkes will taste better than she will? This clever spin on the classic LIttle Red Riding Hood tale introduces Hanukkah traditions in a humorous and unexpected way.

The Night Before Hanukkah by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer - It's the night before the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah begins, and everyone is excited! Each evening, the family gathers to light the candles and share holiday traditions such as playing dreidel, eating latkes, and exchanging gifts. The seventeenth title in Natasha Wing's bestselling series, The Night Before Hanukkah captures all the joy and love in one of the most wonderful times of the year!

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard & Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel - A refugee seeking sanctuary from the horrors of Kristallnacht, Oskar arrives by ship in New York City with only a photograph and an address for an aunt he has never met. It is both the seventh day of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve, 1938. As Oskar walks the length of Manhattan, from the Battery to his new home in the north of the city, he passes experiences the city's many holiday sights, and encounters it various residents. Each offers Oskar a small act of kindness, welcoming him to the city and helping him on his way to a new life in the new world.

Way Too Many Latkes by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Aleksandar Zolotic - Faigel makes the best Hanukkah latkes in Chelm, but somehow, this year she's forgotten how to make them! She sends her husband, Shmuel, to ask the rabbi for help. And in Chelm, the village of fools―oy vey!―this becomes a recipe for disaster!