From board books that invite the littlest readers to hippity-hop to anthologies that encourage older readers to explore deep themes in narratives, these 11 titles celebrate the Festival of Lights in a variety of ways.

Board Books

Hanukkah Hippity-Hop by Barbara Kimmel. illus. by Ana Zurita. Lerner/Kar-Ben. ISBN 9798765604564. 
PreS–Hanukkah is a joyous time when people come together to celebrate with family and friends. In this charming board book, young readers are invited to participate in the fun alongside the children pictured within the story. Whether the children are jumping like a sizzling latke or twirling like a dreidel, each movement is fun, memorable, and representative of a specific element of the Hanukkah holiday. VERDICT A clever and entertaining story that will brighten library shelves during the Hanukkah season.

My Dreidel by Ann D Koffsky. Apples & Honey. ISBN 9781681156125. 
Toddler-PreS–A delightful board book that introduces young children to the joys of the traditional dreidel game played around Hanukkah. Designed for children from birth to age five, this sturdy book about a puppy family is perfect for little hands to hold and explore as they spin around and fall down with the dreidel. VERDICT A fun addition to any library.

My First Dino-Hanukkah by Lisa Wheeler. illus. by Barry Gott. Lerner/Carolrhoda. ISBN 9798765623114.
PreS–The nights are growing colder, which means that it is almost time for the Dinos to celebrate Hanukkah. Colorful characters come together from all over town to enjoy latkes and applesauce, a rousing game of spin the dreidel, and stories that commemorate this annual event. VERDICT This fun board book will appeal especially to young children who enjoy Wheeler’s “Dino” books. A positive addition to holiday library collections for young readers.

Picture Books

 Uri and the King of Darkness: A Hanukkah Story by Nati Bait. tr. from Hebrew by Ilana Kurshan. illus. by Carmel Ben Ami. Kalaniot. ISBN 9781962011983. 
PreS-Gr 2–It’s the first night of Hanukkah, and Uri and his sister Shir are awaiting their father’s arrival so they can light the Hanukkah candles. But Dad is late! Uri worries about all the things that could happen. With the Hanukkah story of enemy armies on his mind, he imagines such an army invading his town. Uri imagines his father fighting the enemy with a flashlight, effecting the symbolism of Hanukkah. VERDICT A first purchase for collections.

Hanukkah Pajamakkahs by Dara Henry. illus. by Olga Ivanov & Aleksey Ivanov. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. ISBN 9781728284576. 
PreS-Gr 3–On the first night of Hanukkah, rosy-cheeked Ruthie opens her present and is delighted to find a pair of Hanukkah-themed pajamas, or “Pajamakkahs!” Against the wishes of her parents, Ruthie decides she wants to wear her pajamas for eight days straight, as long as they don’t get stained before the Hanukkah Pajamakkah party. VERDICT A fun title spotlighting Hanukkah.

 A Dragon for Hanukkah by Sarah Mlynowski. illus. by Ariel Landy. Scholastic/Orchard. ISBN 9781338897524. 
PreS-Gr 2–It’s Hanukkah, and that means a special gift every night for eight nights. As Hannah opens her gifts each night, readers are taken on an extraordinary adventure down a rainbow path, onto a merry-go-round, and even through a time machine to meet the Maccabees from 10,000 years ago. VERDICT A heartwarming story celebrating Hanukkah that is both cheerful and informational.

[Read: 8 Picture Books For 8 Days and Nights]

Eight Sweet Nights, A Festival of Lights: A Hanukkah Story by Charlotte Offsay. ­illus. by Menahem Halberstadt. Doubleday. ISBN 9780593808726. 
PreS-Gr 3–A diverse Jewish family visits the grandparents for Hanukkah. The children help their grandmother prepare latkes, their grandfather fries up sufganiyot, the extended family plays dreidel; then, they light the first candle in the menorah. After gift-giving and dancing, it’s time for the family to return home, but the children look forward to the upcoming seven nights of Hanukkah. VERDICT An appealing picture book about a Jewish family gathering to share stories, cook traditional recipes, make new memories, and celebrate an ancient miracle.

Don’t Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. illus. by Carles Arbat. Apples & Honey. ISBN 9781681156422. 
PreS-Gr 2–One tradition of Jewish culture is to welcome guests warmly when they visit a home. So when a young boy putting up Hanukkah decorations sees a bear at his front door, he lets the bear in, as he has been taught to do—despite the warnings from the narrator, who uses second-person perspective to tell the story. VERDICT An excellent book for library collections.

 Oy, Santa!: Or, There’s a Latke to Learn About Hanukkah by Joyce Schriebman. illus. by Gila von Meissner. Intergalactic Afikoman. ISBN 9781951365226. 
K-Gr 5–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. VERDICT Highly recommended for all collections.

Chapter Books & Middle Grade

Rachel Friedman and Eight Not-Perfect Nights of Hanukkah by Sarah Kapit. illus. by Genevieve Kote. Holt. ISBN 9781250881090.
Gr 1-3–Rachel Friedman can’t get the Lego menorah to come together, she gets snowed in without potatoes to make latkes, she doesn’t have the right materials to build her snow Maccabee, and her brother is too old and too cool to have any fun with Hanukkah activities. In characteristic Rachel Friedman style, she makes the best of the situation and ends up with an almost-perfect Hanukkah after all. VERDICT This second book in the “Rachel Friedman” series would be a good addition to collections where readers enjoyed the first installment, or for those seeking early chapter books with diverse characters.

 The Festival of Lights: 16 Hanukkah Stories ed. by Henry Herz. Albert ­Whitman. ISBN 9780807531211. 
Gr 5-8–A brilliant Hanukkah anthology that engages readers with Jewish culture and tradition. The narratives, which are sandwiched between introductory and concluding poems, explore themes of grief and loss, the demise of culture and identity, holiday celebrations, and inclusivity. VERDICT This beautiful anthology of Jewish tradition that emphasizes empathy, small kindnesses, and hope is the perfect read for all students.

For YA titles to share with your teens and tweens, click here.