The 10 Best Hanukkah Books to Read With Your Kids
Storytime is always special with your little ones, but the routine becomes even more meaningful during the holidays. Not only do you and your kids get to giggle over fun, festive stories, but it’s also the perfect way to teach your children about the history of Hanukkah and why we celebrate. Need some reading suggestions? Here, our top picks for the best Hanukkah books to read with your kids.
Will your little dinosaur get impatient and misbehave during the eight days of Chanukah? Not after reading this modern holiday classic! Author Jane Yolen’s dinosaur chooses a different path too and the story winds up with holiday-inspired acts of kindness and caring.
For ages: 4-8
Buy it: How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, $12, Amazon.com
Get ready for some wacky good fun with the Latke family of potato pancakes. Grandpa Latke tells little Lucy Latke a twisted tale of Hanukkah, complete with “megabees,” but fortunately the family dog is there to set things straight. Humor is always a welcome addition to the holidays.
For ages: 3-5
Buy it: Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberberg, $14, Amazon.com
Samosas instead of latkes during Hanukkah? If it brings two traditions together for one happy holiday family, why not? This multicultural celebration tale will resonate with many of today’s families balancing multiple religions and traditions.
For ages: 4-7
Buy it: Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas by Pamela Ehrenberg, $11, Amazon.com
A chunky little board book that puts a Hanukkah twist on The Itsy Bitsy Spider nursery rhyme. A fun choice for reading to little ones who are getting ready for the Festival of Lights, just like the dreidel in the story.
For ages: 2-4
Buy it: The Itsy Bitsy Dreidel by Jeffrey Burton, $6, Amazon.com
Here’s a tale of latkes so good that the smell of them wakes a hibernating bear. It’s the first night of Hanukkah and Bubba Brayna doesn’t see too well, so she’s none the wiser when her “guest” shows up to eat, spin the dreidel and light the menorah—until her real guest comes a-knocking. A 2013 National Jewish Book Award Winner, this one will have little ones giggling all the way through.
For ages: 4-8
Buy it: Hanukkah Bear by Eric A. Kimmel, $18, Amazon.com
Curious George helps his friend celebrate the Festival of Lights in a brightly colored, tabbed board book. In sweet, rhyming text, Curious George listens to the Hebrew prayer before the Menorah candle is lit, eats chocolate gelt and plays Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel. Perfect for sharing with little ones.
For ages: 0-3
Buy it: Happy Hanukkah, Curious George by H. A. Rey, $8, Amazon.com
This is the Caldecott Honor-winning story of Jewish folk hero named Hershel, who saves Hanukkah for a village that is not his own, after the local synagogue is taken over by eight goblins. You’ll find a wonderful pairing of illustration and text in a book that has become a Hanukkah favorite for more than 25 years.
For ages: 4-8
Buy it: Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins: 25th Anniversary Edition by Eric A. Kimmel, $14, Amazon.com
The “Night Before” series is wildly popular with young readers, and even though Hanukkah is not limited to a single day, the anticipation leading up to the first night is no less exciting. Told as a Hanukkah version of The Night Before Christmas, this read may get a few chuckles from adults “from New York to Santa Monica,” but the kids will undoubtedly want to read it again.
For ages: 3-5
Buy it: The Night Before Hanukkah by Natasha Wing, $5, Amazon.com
Sydney Taylor’s classic story, The All-of-a-Kind Family, gets its own holiday special from author Emily Jenkins and illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky. Young readers will go back in time with this Jewish immigrant family to New York in 1912, where holiday preparations are underway. It’s warm historical fiction for the whole family.
For ages: 3-7
Buy it: All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins, $10, Amazon.com
An important book to include in holiday reading with kids, author David A. Adler focuses on the history and events that inspired the traditions and celebrations of today. Beautiful illustrations help tell the story of the Maccabees, the oil that lasted eight nights and more. An excellent approach to the reason behind the season that’s still accessible for kids.
For ages: 4-8
Buy it: The Story of Hanukkah by David A. Adler, $7, Amazon.com
Published December 2019 Plus, more from The Bump:
