Nonna's Hanukkah Surprise

by Karen Fisman Narrated by Book Buddy Digital Media

Overview

Rachel loves visiting her Italian grandmother, even though Nonna celebrates Christmas and Rachel and her parents celebrate Hanukkah. Rachel plans to share Hanukkah with her whole family, so when Rachel's special hanukkiah goes missing, Nonna steps in to save the day.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

09/14/2015
Rachel and her family celebrate Hanukkah, but this holiday season finds them visiting Rachel’s Italian paternal grandmother, who celebrates Christmas. Will one holiday upstage the other? Rachel feels better knowing that she’s bringing her new menorah, which is decorated with nine shielding-bearing female Maccabees. When the menorah is accidentally left on the plane, Rachel is sure that Hanukkah is ruined, but Nonna proves that family ties, open hearts, good food, and a homemade menorah (made from Nonna’s impressive collection of cut-glass perfume bottles) can make the holidays special for everyone. The idea of two exuberant cultures uniting for two very different holidays has lots of potential, and Avilés’s angular illustrations exude reassuring familial warmth. But Fisman’s story feels unnecessarily complicated, and Nonna winds up as more of a deus ex machina than a fully realized character. Ages 3–8. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

"Rachel and her family go on a plane trip to visit their Italian grandmother during Hanukkah. Rachel loves her Nonna, but is concerned that there will be no proper Hanukkah this year, as Nonna and all of her father's family celebrate Christmas. Rachel's mother packs a suitcase filled with dreidels, candles, chocolate gelt, decorations, and of course gifts, and the entire family joins in to share a beautiful Hanukkah. When Rachel's special new menorah goes missing - the one with nine Maccabee women - her Nonna steps in to save the day with a creative solution. Nonna is the perfect loving grandmother that everyone would hope to have, and Rachel's parents are beautifully sensitive to her emotional needs. Lovely and softly colorful stylized paintings perfectly illustrate the story. Recommended as a read-loud." — AJL Newsletter

School Library Journal

10/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—Rachel loves her Italian grandmother, who always smells so wonderful, but worries that a December visit to Italy means she will miss Hanukkah, since her Italian relatives all celebrate Christmas. Her parents reassure her that they can bring the Hanukkah celebration with them and share it with her father's family. They even give her an early Hanukkah gift—a super cool menorah with a team of all-girl Maccabees to hold the candles! Rachel puts the menorah in her carry-on bag and then forgets it on the plane. The little girl is heartbroken, but her Nonna is a smart woman and, after having Rachel describe the menorah, comes up with the perfect, and perfumed, solution. The book includes a brief description of Hanukkah in the body of the story, with a paragraph at the end adding a little more. This title would make a fine read-aloud for a multicultural holiday storytime. Attractive illustrations in primarily in blues and greens are both humorous and tender. VERDICT Not much of a surprise, but a nicely told tale of a family living comfortably with different religions and traditions.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

2015-08-12
When Rachel's special, new menorah is accidentally left on the plane, her resourceful Italian grandmother finds a way for the family to light candles and celebrate Hanukkah. Though Nonna and the cousins celebrate Christmas, Rachel and her family take a trip to visit and bring Hanukkah with them. Rachel carefully packs her carry-on bag with decorations, dreidels, chocolate gelt, candles for the eight nights, and a special hanukkiah on which each branch is shaped like a female Maccabee fighter. Sleepy after the long flight, Rachel forgets her bag when they get off the plane. Nonna is eager to help in the preparations for Hanukkah when Rachel realizes she doesn't have the menorah. Through tears of disappointment, Rachel teaches Nonna about the menorah. Nonna then surprises her with a clever and beautifully homemade menorah created from her treasured empty perfume bottles. This well-crafted story of an interfaith family focuses on the Hanukkah celebration, lightly blending Italian food—panettone and lasagna—with latkes at a dinner on the first night. Fisman adroitly incorporates the historical significance of Hanukkah into Rachel's discussion of the menorah, easily working it into a believable story. Pastel-colored drawings successfully extend the story's action, providing some foreshadowing and flashback scenes when Rachel leaves and remembers her forgotten bag. A lovely choice. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172231476
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2017
Series:	Kar-Ben Hanukkah Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	Up to 4 Years

Read an Excerpt

Nonna's Hanukkah Surprise

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By Karen Fisman, Martha Aviles

Kar-Ben Publishing

Copyright © 2015 Karen Fisman
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4677-3477-6

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CHAPTER 1

"Do we have to go?" asked Rachel, trying to keep her voice from wobbling.

Mom looked surprised. "You love visiting Daddy's family," she said.

"But we'll miss Hanukkah!" said Rachel. "Nonna and the cousins celebrate Christmas."

"Don't worry, honey," said Daddy. "The rest of my family does celebrate Christmas. But we'll bring Hanukkah along, too. You'll see — it will be fun for us to share our holiday celebrations."

"Look," said Mom. She opened a small suitcase. It was filled with Hanukkah decorations, dreidels, chocolate Hanukkah gelt, and enough candles for all eight nights of Hanukkah. There was also a pile of gifts on the bed — both for Rachel and for her cousins.

Rachel felt a bit better. But something was missing.

"There's no Hanukkah menorah," she pointed out. "How will we light the Hanukkah candles?"

"Here, Rach," Daddy said, handing her a box. "An early Hanukkah present for you. Open it."

Inside was the best menorah Rachel had ever seen. Each of its branches was shaped like a person — and not just any person.

This menorah had nine proud Maccabees, each holding a candle, including one for the shammash.

Rachel loved the story of the Maccabees, the brave Jewish fighters who defeated King Antiochus. She did think it was unfair, though, that the Maccabees were all boys. Rachel was sure that if she'd lived in the days of Antiochus, she would have been a Maccabee, too.

That was why this particular menorah was the very best. All nine Maccabees were girls!

Rachel gave Daddy a big hug. "OK," she said with a smile. "We'll bring Hanukkah with us to Nonna and the cousins."

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Nonna's Hanukkah Surprise by Karen Fisman, Martha Aviles. Copyright © 2015 Karen Fisman. Excerpted by permission of Kar-Ben Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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