A heartwarming tale dimmed by off-putting visuals.
The true story of how a menorah brought a displaced Jewish community back together.
For years, Jewish families in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, celebrated Hanukkah with their synagogue’s large, ornate menorah. But in 2022, Russian bombing destroyed the building and scattered the population. Andrei Zherenko, the synagogue’s caretaker, remained in the city. While walking through the rubble one day, he discovered what felt like a miracle—the menorah, completely unscathed. He contacted the rabbi, Mendel Cohen, who shared the news with congregants around the world. Though the few Jews left in the city were hungry and scared, they joined Andrei to light the menorah in secret, bringing light and hope to loved ones near and far. Churnin repeatedly connects this modern-day experience to the original Hanukkah miracle through a lyrical question: “Was this how it felt, in ancient times?” Her poignant prose sheds light on an inspiring story. Moss’ rather minimalist art, however, detracts from the work. Hazy, abstract backgrounds keep the destruction of war at a safe distance without erasing it, but in doing so omit any meaningful representation of Ukraine’s geography or culture. The characters have flat, oddly proportioned faces and nondescript clothing. Long, dense blocks of text are sometimes layered onto textured backgrounds in ways that diminish legibility.
A heartwarming tale dimmed by off-putting visuals. (author’s note, note from Rabbi Mendel Cohen) (Informational picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781954354487
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creston
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for.
An overview of the modern African-American holiday.
This book arrives at a time when black people in the United States have had intraracial—some serious, some snarky—conversations about Kwanzaa’s relevance nowadays, from its patchwork inspiration that flattens the cultural diversity of the African continent to a single festive story to, relatedly, the earnest blacker-than-thou pretentiousness surrounding it. Both the author and consultant Keith A. Mayes take great pains—and in painfully simplistic language—to provide a context that attempts to refute the internal arguments as much as it informs its intended audience. In fact, Mayes says in the endnotes that young people are Kwanzaa’s “largest audience and most important constituents” and further extends an invitation to all races and ages to join the winter celebration. However, his “young people represent the future” counterpoint—and the book itself—really responds to an echo of an argument, as black communities have moved the conversation out to listen to African communities who critique the holiday’s loose “African-ness” and deep American-ness and moved on to commemorate holidays that have a more historical base in black people’s experiences in the United States, such as Juneteenth. In this context, the explications of Kwanzaa’s principles and symbols and the smattering of accompanying activities feel out of touch.
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for. (resources, bibliography, glossary, afterword) (Nonfiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2849-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2017
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here.
Kids teach a valuable lesson about community spirit.
A city block is ablaze with red and green lights for Christmas; one house glows blue and white for Hanukkah. This is where Isaac, a Jewish boy, lives, across the street from best friend Teresa, excitedly preparing for Christmas. They love lighting up their homes in holiday colors. After an antisemitic bigot smashes a window in Isaac’s house, Isaac relights the menorah the next night, knowing if his family doesn’t, it means hiding their Jewishness, which doesn’t “feel right.” Artistic Teresa supports Isaac by drawing a menorah, inscribed to her friend, and placing the picture in her window. What occurs subsequently is a remarkable demonstration of community solidarity for Isaac and his family from everyone, including the media. Galvanized into defiant action against hate, thousands of townspeople display menorahs in windows in residences and public buildings. This quiet, uplifting tale is inspired by an incident that occurred in Billings, Montana, in 1993. Readers will feel heartened at children’s power to influence others to stand up for justice and defeat vile prejudice. The colorful illustrations, rendered digitally with brushes of the artist’s devising, resemble scratch art. Isaac and Teresa are White, and there is some racial diversity among the townspeople; one child is depicted in a wheelchair. An author’s note provides information about the actual event.
The true meaning of the holiday season shines here. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64614-087-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
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