Eight Sweet Nights, A Festival of Lights: A Hanukkah Story
Illustrated by: Menahem Halberstadt
Published by: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
A warm and yummy Hanukkah-themed picture book about the joys of coming together to celebrate with family and food.
It’s time to start counting sleeps—Hanukkah is coming! Shimmering, shining, sparkling. Eight sweet nights, a festival of lights.
Set in a cozy house full of latkes, applesauce, sufganiyot, and other Hanukkah holiday treats, this warm and emotional story highlights the importance and joy of passing along traditions from one generation to the next, and making new traditions too.
Children can also learn about the meaning of their holiday, with informative side notes on each page to give a brief explanation of words found at Hanukkah, such as Maccabees, hanukkiyah, shamash, and gelt. An afterword from the author provides even more historical background to the holiday, making this a book to take from the shelves year after year.
Reviews
Best Jewish Holiday Children’s Books of Fall 2024—Association of Jewish Libraries
Titles that are selected as Holiday Highlights exemplify the highest standards of authentic Jewish representation and holiday spirit in both writing and illustration. A committee of expert judges recommends these books for use by families, in schools, and in libraries. AJL hopes that the publishing world will look to the quality of these examples when creating new children’s books about Jewish holidays.
“The story is sweet and concise, while the notes on each page and in the backmatter provide more detailed information than many other Hanukkah books. . . . An illuminating holiday primer.”—Kirkus
“A cheery energy.”—Publishers Weekly
