A Wild, Wild Hanukkah

August 28, 2023
On each night of Hanukkah, a pale-skinned family is visited by a different species of wild animal, the numbers of which correspond to the number of candles on the menorah. It all begins on the first night, when “Whoosh! The door flies wide./ A plump and perky polar bear/ invites himself inside!” He’s bearing a large but empty platter for latkes, which are made over the course of several more nights—with help from two crocodiles, three tigers, four armadillos, five chimpanzees, and six owls. (The final two nights see the arrival of sufganiyot-bearing rhinos and dreidel-spinning penguins.) Painterly, fanciful art captures the richness of feathers, fur, and scales, as well as the comedic chaos of an ever-more-crowded house. Gershman and Strauss end with a rousing Hanukkah countdown à la “The 12 days of Christmas” as the narrative voice describes “a wild, wild, Hanukkah/ with family and friends!” Ages 4–8.