Honeyky Hanukah

by Woody Guthrie, Dave Horowitz (Illustrator)

Overview

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year, 2015
"Sure to become a tradition at Hanukkah parties everywhere."—Kirkus Reviews
"inspires a toe-tapping performance"—Publishers Weekly
"a happy tune for a festive time"—Booklist
"Read the book, listen to the CD, and get into the Hanukkah mood."—The Horn Book

"Latkes and goody things all over town, it’s Honeyky Hanukah time!" In Woody Guthrie’s rowdy, funny celebration of Hanukah, a young boy and his dog move merrily from house to house, gathering up family and friends for a big feast. With an accompanying CD, featuring Guthrie’s song recorded by the Klezmatics, this is a Hanukah book you can dance to!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385379267
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/23/2014
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Woody Guthrie (1912-1967) was a legendary American folk singer-songwriter. His songs told the stories of the American people: their land, their labors, their trials and their joys. While many of his songs were born of his experience in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, "Honeyky Hanukah" was part of a little-known series of songs he wrote celebrating Jewish culture, inspired by his mother in law, Aliza Greenblatt, a well-known Yiddish poet who lived across the street from him during his years in Coney Island, New York.

Dave Horowitz has written and illustrated over a dozen popular books for children, including The Ugly Pumpkin, Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again, Twenty-Six Princesses (and its counterpart, Twenty-Six Pirates), as well as the 2008 Sydney Taylor Notable Book Five Little Gefiltes. Dave lives in New York's Hudson Valley. Besides making books for kids, Dave has been a drummer, a rock climbing guide and a college professor. His favorite color is orange.   

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2014
This selection from Guthrie’s Jewish-themed oeuvre—inspired by his mother-in-law, the Jewish poet Aliza Greenblatt—has a novelty song refrain that inspires a toe-tapping performance (on the accompanying CD) by the Grammy-winning and always irresistible Klezmatics. Ever the populist, Guthrie reminds readers that Hanukkah is not all treats and presents: “If you’ve got no money, well, that’s all right... Your kiss is nicer than cakes from the store/ It’s Honeyky Hanukah time.” Created with cut paper, charcoal, and colored pencils, Horowitz’s (Twenty-Six Pirates: An Alphabet Book) illustrations have a slightly smaller quotient of his customary goofiness, but they’re bouncy and bright, and ably serve as illustrated title cards to get readers in a singalong mood. A bookplate-slash–gift tag on the front endpaper encourages giving. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2014-08-12
A Woody Guthrie Hanukkah folk tune written in part for his wife's Jewish family is brought to life with droll cartoon illustrations and a toe-tapping klezmer musical arrangement. Construction-paper cutouts make up basic body parts, and they are embellished with charcoal and colored pencil. These illustrations create cheery double-page scenes to accompany each four-line verse. A barefoot, curly-haired guitar player is joined by children parading in song, a father playing an accordion and a mother with a fiddle. They are accompanied by a pet dog hauling a wagon full of gifts. In warm complement to the musical atmosphere, a grandmother is baking honey cake and cookies to go with latkes, and all the candles on the menorah are lit. Guthrie's simple message that money is not as important as sweet hugs and kisses to go all around at "Honeyky Hanukah time" is reflected in each jovial illustration. While the book itself can stand alone, the accompanying CD with music by the well-known Klezmatics will encourage dancing and singing along to the joyously performed adaptation. Sure to become a tradition at Hanukkah parties everywhere. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews

10/01/2014
PreS-Gr 2—A whimsical spread accompanies each of the seven verses of Guthrie's song in this celebration featuring a curly-haired youngster who, with his enthusiastic dog, happily devours Bubbie's fresh-baked treats and then proceeds to play guitar on an urban stoop and sing the praises of Hanukkah. Mention is made of the candles burning for a week, but though repeatedly pictured, the menorah is never named in the text. Nor is the dreidel, shown spinning as a pig-tailed girl romps with the dog while another boy discovers a present. In following pages, the children parade (with dog in tow) to deliver presents to Mom and Dad, share hugs, expand on the music-making, and dance a rooftop hora with Bubbie and Zayde. The construction paper, charcoal, and colored-pencil illustrations capture the spirit conveyed by Guthrie's exuberant musings. Background on the musician and the impetus for his Jewish songs are appended. A CD of the Klezmatics performing a rousing version of the song is included.—Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal