Hanukkah in Little Havana

by Julie Anna Blank, Carlos Vélez Aguilera (Illustrator)

Overview

Celebrate Hanukkah with Family!

Every December, a little girl in Virginia looks forward to receiving a crate of oranges from her grandparents in Miami, but this year is even better. The family is taking a driving trip to visit Nonna and Nonno in Florida! At Nonna and Nonno’s house, they pick grapefruit and oranges under the sun. They dance the salsa and play in the waves at the beach. Best of all, they celebrate Hanukkah together. The girls help Nonna make latkes, and buñuelos stuffed with almonds and guava jelly. It’s eight days of light and love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728442853
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/01/2022
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	10.63(w) x 9.13(h) x 0.13(d)
Lexile:	830L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

After a childhood of moving every few years, Julie Anna Blank has enjoyed staying put in her Pacific Northwest home of 30 years, where she is a school librarian. She and her husband hit the road for van life adventures in their Sprinter, most often to visit their two grown sons. Having been a storyteller all her life, Julie is thrilled to see her words in print finally. Hanukkah in Little Havana is her first children's book.

Carlos Vélez Aguilera is a professional illustrator based in Mexico City, Mexico. He graduated from the National School of Plastic Arts and has illustrated more than twenty children's books including his graphic novel Salón Destino.

Editorial Reviews

"Aguilera's tropically hued illustrations exude the heady joys of a warm climate, holiday home cooking, and unconditional love."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

09/12/2022

When the annual December shipment of oranges doesn’t arrive from Nonna and Nonno, this picture book’s young narrator wonders about the missing bounty in this solidly familial portrayal of Sephardic Jewish traditions. Instead of the citrus arriving by post, the child’s family drives all night from chilly Maryland to Miami to spend Hanukkah with grandparents in Little Havana. The relations, portrayed with varying skin tones, spend a smiling eight days picking and juicing oranges, visiting the beach, and eating latkes. When Nonna, snazzy in a crop-top ensemble, makes buñuelos, the giggly kids cover the treats—and themselves—with the “snow” of sifted sugar. Aguilera’s tropically hued illustrations exude the heady joys of a warm climate, holiday home cooking, and unconditional love. An author’s note discusses the story’s roots; a Ladino and Yiddish glossary concludes. Ages 4–9. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly