Some of our family values are constant learning and celebrating differences, so this year we decided to learn more about Hanukkah. We started with several books, and these three books have been our best loved, so here we are sharing them. We would love to hear any other suggestions that you all have in the comments below!
Jane Yolen and Mark Teague’s How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? was an instant hit for us. We read the Christmas version every year, so this was a fun way for my younger kid to draw a connection and to learn about special traditions and ways of celebrating Chanukah! My older kid, of course, loved to see the dinosaurs being naughty and then making better choices. As all their books, it’s cute, clever, and really funny.
David Adler and Jill Weber’s The Story of Hanukkah is a great brief overview of how Hanukkah came to be, starting with Antiochus IV, the Maccabees, and the oil that lasted 8 days in the ner tamid. This is perfect for my 7 year old- it’s got the right amount of text and accessible vocabulary to keep her interest and help her understand a bit of the history behind the celebration. She also loves the instructions on how to make latkes and how to play dreidel that are included in the end!
You probably know we love a flipped fairy tale, so Little Red Ruthie, by Gloria Koster and illustrated by Sue Eastland, was a fun read for us! In this one, Ruthie is heading to her Bubbe’s house to make latkes for Hanukkah when she meets the Big Bad Wolf. When she sees him at her grandma’s house, she outsmarts him by cooking lots of delicious latke’s that fill his tummy so he can’t possibly eat Ruther or her Bubbe. While it’s not tied really to learning about Hannukkah, it’s so clever and funny that my kids love reading it.
We hope you enjoy a few of these books! If you choose to purchase any from the links in this post, I’ll make a small comission. Thanks in advance!