Eight simple poems in Haiku form, one for each night of Hanukkah, tell of family traditions and the joy of lighting the candles together, playing dreidel, eating latkes and applesauce, receiving shiny coins or Hanukkah gelt, singing and dancing and, of course, hearing the story of the Maccabees. Without retelling the biblical story, Ziefert manages to capture the essence of this holiday completely and even includes instructions, in both Hebrew and English, for conducting the candle-lighting ritual. Text and format are seamlessly interwoven. Inspired by Chagall, Gudeon’s intensely bright, detailed illustrations float and soar through the pages. As each candle is lit, the shortened, fanned pages open to reveal the activities told in the poems and the menorah as it appears that night, until the eighth and final night when the menorah is fully ablaze. Borders, backgrounds and endpapers bloom with symbols that surround Hebrew and English letters wishing the reader a happy Hanukkah and a celebrating family dancing with joy. An exuberant delight. (Picture book. 4-10)
