It's been a while since our last Bedtime for Babies book review but I received a request from a friend asking for a couple of book recommendations. Then a request from another friend and another friend and then well I decided it maybe, just maybe it was time to revive the Bedtime for Babies spot on the blog.
Thanks to my friends at Kalaniot Books for the opportunity to share The Littlest Candle: A Hanukkah Story by Rabbis Kerry and Jesse Olitzky.
The Littlest Candle is a great read for new readers. It's an uplifting story of Little Flicker, the littlest candle in the box and how he earns the right to be the shamash thanks to all his good deeds he's done for others.
The story is sweet but it's the end of the book that I think most will love. The end of the book shares more about the history of Hanukkah and some Hanukkah traditions. I struggled about reviewing this book given Hanukkah is a few months away but truth is we could all use a little light right now and Hanukkah is a time of year for families to gather and reflect on sharing our light in this sometimes dark, cold world.
The illustrations are vivid watercolors and showcase the personality of each individual candle in the box. The typeface could be a little larger against the pages of various shades of brown. An enlarged typeface would definitely make for easier reading for those of us reading this book at storytime.
The father/son team of Rabbi Kerry and Rabbi Jesse are not new to storytelling. Rabbi Kerry has penned several books and although this is Rabbi Jerry's first children's book he spends a lot of time sharing stories with the children in his congregation.
Be sure to check out more books from Rabbis Kerry and Jesse available at Endless Mountain Publishing or pick up a copy of The Littlest Candle: A Hanukkah Story at your favorite online bookstore.
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