Spin the Dreidel!

by Alexandra Cooper

Overview

Celebrate Chanukah and play the dreidel game! Spin the dreidel and see where it lands. Nun, gimel, hey, and shin — who will win? Give it a spin!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689864308
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	10/01/2004
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	14
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 6.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

Editorial Reviews

A plastic dreidel turns in a window cut out of the board book's spine in Spin the Dreidel! by Alexandra Cooper, illus. by Claudine Gevry, allowing youngsters to play the game while reading rhymes that double as instructions. Gevry's cozy illustrations show a family at play, cheering good spins and enjoying other traditions in the background. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

This sturdy book has a built in dreidel. The basics of how it is used to play a game are explained, and it is clear that the kids are having fun. Chocolate covered in gold foil serves as the coins used to play the game and the happy winner can take it all. The rhyming text will appeal to the younger set—it isn't great poetry, but it scans well. The last page recaps the significance of Chanukah and the miracle that took place more than 2,000 years ago when the Maccabees defeated the Greeks and reclaimed the Temple and lit the menorah. Oil that was only supposed to last for one day lasted for eight—the amount of time it took to get a new supply. A good gift for the holiday season. 2004, Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, Ages 3 to 6.
—Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature

PreS-In this board book, a family plays dreidel while a simple rhyming text explains the meaning of each letter in turn-"nun," "gimel," "hey," and "shin." Each letter is shown on the four corners of the spread on which it is featured, along with the Hebrew word it stands for, although the meaning of "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham" is never explained. A paragraph at the end provides a simplified version of the Chanukah story. A section of the book's spine has been cut away, allowing room for an unremovable plastic dreidel, which children will have fun spinning as they read the book. The charming, warmly colored illustrations make this an appealing, if additional, selection.-E. M. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal