Oy, Santa!: Or, There’s a Latke to Learn About Hanukkah

K-Gr 5–A highly entertaining holiday book that will be popular with readers of all ages. Ollie sends Santa an email to make sure he knows he is Jewish, so he shouldn’t come to his house on Christmas Eve. This sparks a thread of messages between the two, with Santa making some mistakes in his understanding of Hanukkah. Ollie is persistent in educating Santa and uses clever modern-day comparisons to help. For example, he compares the miracle of the lamp burning for eight days to a cell phone that is almost dead lasting until a charger is found. The illustrations are equally entertaining, with intricate details like Santa’s office having a picture of a young Mrs. Claus in a bikini as well as cat portraits, and a pet cat trying to steal a candy cane from Santa’s hot chocolate. The book can also be used as a model for teaching how to structure an email. Back matter includes more information about Hanukkah, instructions on how to play dreidel, and a picture of the handwritten note the author’s son wrote to Santa, which was the inspiration for the story.