The Kvetch Who Stole Hanukkah

by Bill Berlin, Susan Berlin, Peter Welling (Illustrator)

Overview

In the town of Oyville, the children were preparing for Hanukkah. But the kvetch who lived high on the hill said what he said every year: "The latkes smell bad, the dreidels make me dizzy, and to hear children laugh puts me in a tizzy." This year, will Hanukkah represent another great miracle, finally bringing a smile to the kvetch's face?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781589807983
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	09/02/2010
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bill Berlin is the senior producer and writer for Caucus: New Jersey, a national PBS public affairs series, and a host of Carpe Diem, a television show produced by Montclair State University, where he is a professor of political science. His writing has appeared in the New York Times and Christian Science Monitor, among other publications


Susan Isakoff Berlin is a licensed clinical social worker and educator, who has taught in synagogue preschool programs, Jewish Community Centers, and public schools. A member of the National Association of Social Workers, her articles on such issues as parenting, aging, and bereavement have appeared in local newspapers and the New York Times.

Peter Welling is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University South Bend and the Publisher's Choice Award for Exemplary Non-Fiction. In addition, his illustrations have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He is the author and illustrator of Darlene Halloween and the Great Chicago Fire; Joe Van der Katt and the Great Picket Fence; Justin Potemkin and the 500-Mile Race; Michael Le Soufflé and the April Fool; Shawn O’Hisser, the Last Snake in Ireland; and Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow and the illustrator of The Kvetch Who Stole Hanukkah, What’s Up With This chicken? and Back to School, Picky Little Witch! Welling lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2–4—There's a lot to kvetch about in this tale that clearly takes its inspiration from Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Random, 1957). Although the authors have made a valiant effort to mimic the structure, rhyming patterns, and message of the classic, the story focuses too intently on the kvetch and not enough on the holiday. This kvetch has an irrational fear of the Hanukkah lights. "He would dream of menorahs with their candles so bright/And awaken in terror, dripping in fright." Thus he decides to "gain control" of his fear by stealing the thing he dreads: the menorah. That's when three children appear to explain the meaning of Hanukkah. "The lights and the gifts show our dedication/To the strength and faith of our ancient nation." Lights, certainly. But gifts? On a brighter note, the colorful cartoon illustrations add some humor and raise the spirit of this otherwise mediocre offering. Unfortunately, by spending so much time on the inner life of the kvetch, this book misses the point that it seeks to make.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

With a nod to the Christmas Grinch, the Kvetch (or "complainer") of Oyville sees nothing joyous about Hanukkah and proceeds to steal all the menorahs. Like a group of determined Maccabees, the children gather to explain to the Kvetch that his thinking is all wrong: The holiday of Hanukkah is not just about glowing candles and gifts but about treasuring "true justice and charity" and showing "our dedication / To the strength and faith of our ancient nation." Forced to see his bleak world more brightly, the Kvetch resolves his bitterness and fear. The often-forced Seuss-like rhyme is accompanied by busy, unpolished cartoons of Greek warriors, Maccabee defenders and a modern-day snow-covered community. This zany approach culminates with the Kvetch's personal "great miracle" of happily lighting his own menorah. Enjoyable, if rough. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews