Picture Book Review: Hanukkah Moon

Hanukkah Moon
Written by:  Deborah Da Costa
Illustrated by:  Gosia Mosz
Published by:  Kar-Ben Publishing, 2007

* In this story Isobel goes to visit her Aunt Luisa's house during the beginning of Hanukkah.  Aunt Luisa has just moved from Mexico and Isobel is unsure that her aunt will know how to celebrate Hanukkah in the US.  Isobel discovers that her Aunt celebrates the holiday with both the familiar (eating latkes) and the unfamiliar (celebrating the Hanukkah Moon).  And there's also the familiar with a twist (a hanukkiah/menorah handmade by her aunt to resemble Noah's Ark), Feliz Januca (Happy Hanukkah in Spanish) and a dreidel shaped pinata.  I even learned something new about Rosh Hodesh, the celebration of the new moon, and the significance of the time for women.  Isobel also receives a camera from her aunt and the enjoy time together taking pictures of the birds that visit her aunt's tree and identifying them.

My daughter had chosen this book from our big pile of library reads because she is learning about the moon in school.  Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, we celebrate Hanukkah with my husband's mother's side of the family.  So my children are familiar with the holiday.  I think we all found this story interesting because of the Mexican influences that were introduced to us.  There is a glossary at the end of the book with definitions of some of the words children may be unfamiliar with.  This was a very enjoyable Hanukkah themed picture book.

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.