Uri and the King of Darkness: A Hanukkah Story
by Nati Bait (Author) Carmel Ben Ami (Illustrator)
It's the first night of Hanukkah and Uri's dad is still not home. "What happened to Dad? Is he caught in the fray? Could it be that an elephant's blocking his way? Maybe the enemy soldiers attacked? Maybe, just maybe, he cannot get back?"
While they wait for Dad's return, Uri and his sister battle the evil King of Darkness. Their courage and spirit bring the light of Hanukkah to the world around them. Nati Bait's lilting verse and Carmel Ben Ami's appealing illustrations promise to make this a heart-warming Hanukkah favorite.
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--It's the first night of Hanukkah, and Uri and his sister Shir are awaiting their father's arrival so they can light the Hanukkah candles. But Dad is late! Uri worries about all the things that could happen. With the Hanukkah story of enemy armies on his mind, he imagines such an army invading his town. Uri and his mom look out the window at a rainstorm, which adds to the ominous tone. The illustrations throughout are delightfully complex. The people in the streets use umbrellas to shield them from the rain; Shir uses an umbrella as a war shield against the invaders. The enemy king is a dark blue, cape-wearing monster that depicts evil in a way that children can process. Uri imagines his father fighting the enemy with a flashlight, effecting the symbolism of Hanukkah. The story is concise and told in rhyme, and the artwork is a visual smorgasbord. Words and illustrations are tightly integrated--each is better with the other. The book ends happily. Back matter includes the Hanukkah prayers, information about the holiday, and an illustration of the enemy king eating one of the jelly doughnuts that Uri's dad brought home. VERDICT A first purchase for collections.--Jennifer Sontag
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Nati Bait is an Israeli author of children's books. American readers will be familiar with his delightful book, The Everywhere Chair, illustrated by Moran Barak and distributed by PJ Library. Children might be interested to know that sometimes, even Nati is afraid of the dark!
Illustrator, Carmel Ben Ami was born in the Netherlands and raised in Israel, where she studied at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. She illustrates children's books and poetry collections and has worked in animation as well. She lives in Amsterdam. To banish the darkness of the world, Carmel lights Hanukkah candles and draws pictures.
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
JUV017110 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Hanukkah
