All-Of-A-Kind Family Hanukkah
(All-Of-A-Kind Family)

Share this joyous holiday tale of a Jewish immigrant family all year long. (glossary, author’s note, illustrator’s note, link to latke recipe, sources) (Picture book. 3-7)

Copyright 2018 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

When two top picture book talents (the team behind the Toys Go Out series) introduce a new generation to Sydney Taylor's classic stories of Jewish family life on the Lower East Side, it's what's known in Yiddish as a mechaye--something that gives great joy. The year is 1912, and Gertie, the youngest of five sisters, throws a tantrum after being told she's too little to be included in the Hanukkah preparations: "No, Mäusele," says Mama when Gertie wants to use the potato peeler, "It's too sharp." Sent to the communal bedroom for a time-out, Gertie sulks, then worries she'll miss Hanukkah altogether. But with some sweet, timeless Papa humor and an important responsibility--lighting the first night's candle--the girl feels welcomed back into the family fold. Jenkins captures a wealth of feelings with a few understated words: "The latkes taste of history and freedom, of love and crispy potato." Zelinsky's warm-toned, rough-hewn pictures and intimate perspectives give readers a sense of both the close quarters of tenement life and the unbreakable bonds that made immigrant Jewish families so resilient. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 3--Four-year-old Gertie, the youngest of five sisters growing up on the Lower East Side of New York City in the beginning of the 20th century, is frustrated that she can't help prepare the potato latkes for the first night of Hanukkah. Charlotte gets to peel the potatoes and Sarah grates them; Henny chops the onions; and Mama cracks the eggs and adds the salt and matzo meal. Big sister Ella picks up Gertie so she can see the two big frying pans hiss and smoke on the stove, but Mama is afraid that the grease will spit and burn her and sends Gertie to her room. Discouraged and angry, Gertie hides under the bed until Papa comes home and lures her out with gingersnaps. Though she isn't old enough to help make the latkes, she is old enough to help Papa light the menorah. And at dinner, Mama gives Gertie the first latke to try and it tastes "of history and freedom, of love and crispy potato." Zelinsky's expressive and textured illustrations done in yellow, blue, and red earth tones with thick, bold lines perfectly capture the love and warmth of a large family despite the modest and overcrowded living quarters. The back matter also provides information about Sydney Taylor, the author of the original All-of-a-Kind Family (first published in 1951), life on the Lower East Side, and additional background about Hanukkah. VERDICT While readers need not be familiar with the classic series, generations of parents who grew up with this unforgettable immigrant family will certainly welcome this new picture book as the perfect way to introduce these memorable characters to the next generation of readers.--Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL