Esther's Hanukkah Disaster

PreS-Gr 1—An unusual jungle locale distinguishes this story that focuses on holiday gift-giving. Esther, a purple gorilla, hurriedly shops for Hanukkah gifts, but in her rush she doesn't think things through. She buys huge socks for Sarah, her small monkey friend, and a jogging suit for Josephine, her turtle friend. By the time she gives Oscar the elephant a book called 100 Jokes About Elephants, it finally occurs to Esther that she has made some poor choices, while her friends' gifts for her have been thoughtful and appropriate. Although Sarah assures her that, "Presents are not the most important part of Hanukkah," Esther tries to rectify her mistakes by asking everyone to bring the presents she gave them to a party and swaps them so that everyone ends up with the perfect gift. Unfortunately, there is very little attention given to the holiday itself. Cartoon illustrations feature flat yet expressive characters set against backdrops that nicely depict the hazy lushness of the jungle, while interiors feature lots of amusing details like Esther's pile of banana cookbooks. Although not a necessary purchase, this book might be just the thing after seven nights of the usual Hanukkah fare.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library