Mazor uses a clever dreidel to present thoughtful Chanukah rhymes, asking us to include every child in our Chanukah wishes. This clever dreidel reminds us to not take our basic comforts for granted. Each night’s candle lighting blessing graciously reminds young readers to wish that all children should be fortunate, have safe homes, warm beds, good food, cozy clothes and stable health. An appreciation of what they have is gently layered into the rhymes, creating an awareness and a meaningful opportunity for interaction with young children. The clever dreidel’s goal is to instill the wishes of love, peace, hope and bright futures for the children of our world.
Delightful illustrations by Biswas are engaging and purposeful, directly linking the artwork to each wish. The positioning of the candle lighting on the chanukiyah is illustrated on the corners of each page, providing easy instruction in candle lighting.
This book would be a welcome addition to early childhood and elementary school libraries and classrooms as source material for Chanukah and for furthering the discussion of mitzvot as well as for home reading.