BANANA MENORAH

When a family forgets their menorah at home, a child’s alternatives inspire a new family tradition.

Daddy, Papa, and their child take a beach vacation over Hanukkah. Narrating in the first person, the little one describes feeling far from the comforting familiarity of home. Just before sunset, the parents realize that they’ve packed the candles but not the menorah. That’s when the child has an idea: to stick the candles into a banana. Voilà—banana menorah! By the next night, the banana has started to rot and needs to be replaced with something else (a bowl of granola). The pattern continues until the family goes home midway through the holiday. Returning to familiar routines feels good, but the child soon misses the fun of inventing new menorahs. The family decides to embrace both tradition and creativity, keeping their well-loved menorahs while also making new ones. The exposition in the initial pages is a bit heavy-handed, but the book hits its stride when the new menorah ideas begin to flow. Each new menorah is unveiled on its own full spread, creating strong comedic timing that builds anticipation for the next wacky idea. In case kids aren’t already bursting with a desire to try out their own ideas, backmatter provides prompts and safety tips. A concluding note briefly explains the holiday and reveals that the story was inspired by the author’s real-life experience. Daddy and the child are tan-skinned; Papa is pale-skinned.

A Hanukkah tale sure to ignite kids’ creativity.