ABC Hanukkah Hunt

by Tilda Balsley, Helen Poole (Illustrator)

Overview

"It's Hanukkah from A to Z. An Alphabet of things to see!" ABC Hanukkah Hunt is a colorful, interactive, rhyming search for Hanukkah foods, gifts, and symbols.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512486933
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tilda Balsley has written many books for Kar-Ben, bringing her stories to life with rhyme, rhythm, and humor. Tilda lives with her husband and their rescue Shih Tzu in Reidsville, North Carolina.

Helen Poole graduated with a BA in Illustration from the University of Central Lancashire, where she discovered working digitally and never looked back! She loves to drink tea and sing loudly along to her eclectic music collection as she works.

Editorial Reviews

"Adorably colorful and wide-eyed Jewish family members celebrate Hanukkah in this newest Kar-Ben offering for preschoolers. 'It’s Hanukkah for A to Z. An alphabet of things to see' is the first rhyming couplet … and …. off we go—starting with King Antiochus and the Brave Maccabees, and ending with next Year being Hanukkah again, and ZZZZZZZZ—everyone tucked in bed. The cheery illustrations look as if they come straight off cute greeting cards. The interesting choices of words to highlight each letter differentiates this book from others of the genre, along with the author’s clever way of engaging little ones with fun puzzles and picture searches. When a bit of history is shared, instead of the usual D for Dreidel, the letter appears within rhymes about the Maccabees: 'Freedom won, they celebrated. See the temple Dedicated.' This is a true author-illustrator collaboration that works beautifully. Clever actions and puzzles on the pages keep young readers engaged with the adult sharing the book with them. They may need to follow a maze to find Jerusalem, look for the upside-down Hanukkah banner, or identify which child has a chocolate gelt-smeared smile, among many other simple challenges. All around, a rare treat of a Hanukkah book that children will ask to read more than once." -- AJL Reviews

From the Publisher

2013-09-01
This alphabet-centered rhyming scavenger quest asks readers to point out Hanukkah-related symbols and fare, from the obvious to the more nuanced. Beginning with "Antiochus" for the letter A, the king who "would not let the Jews be free," Balsley briefly identifies the significant symbols of the holiday's commemoration. These include the "Brave Maccabees," the small "Cruse of oil" and the temple being "Dedicated" after "freedom won," making sure to capitalize in a bold type the essential letter for each vital word (initials except for "eXtra"). Each page has a question or directed visual activity to complete using the simply drawn picture clues. "So now we have Eight special days. / Special how? Describe the ways. // Which Menorah shows day three? / Count the Flames and you will see." Typical examples such as L for latkes and M for menorah share the alphabet with unrelated choices such as R for Reading and Q for Quick to fill out the alphabet structure. Despite this, the basics of remembrance--through celebration, the lighting of candles, gifts and gatherings with potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts--are strongly evident. Though the theme is executed capably, the production is lackluster, created digitally with childlike caricatures inhabiting both biblical and modern-day scenarios. Though the book is unlovely, the interactive format could inspire some worthwhile conversation. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews