Latkes and Brisket: There Was A Young Rabbi--A Hannukah Tale by Suzanne Wolfe

THERE WAS A YOUNG RABBI WHO READ THE TORAH.

SHE READ THE TORAH AND LIT THE MENORAH.

But this young rabbi has another vocation, and as all mothers know, it's no vacation!

Yes, this young rabbi is an energetic woman with a husband and two children, and in addition to her duties to her congregation, she also has the job of celebrating the joys of Hanukkah at home! She lights the candles, one each night, on her home menorah, until all eight glow in memory of the little bit of oil which lit the lights for the first Hanukkah. But that's not all...

She fries up the latkes, enough so everyone in the family can have some. And that's not all that the young rabbi cooks up at home.

THERE WAS A YOUNG RABBI WHO MADE A NICE BRISKET.

IT'S KOSHER, OF COURSE, OR SHE WOULDN'T HAVE RISKED IT!

She plays dreidel with the kids, and wins a game, too! So she eats a chocolate gelt; that's what winners get to do!

And when all eight candles shine on the eighth and last night, they all open their gifts by the bright candlelight!

In Suzanne Wolfe's rhyming story, There Was a Young Rabbi: A Hanukkah Tale (/Lerner/Kar-Ben Publishing, 2020), illustrated with zest by artist Jeffery Ebbeler, the energetic young female rabbi presides over the professional holiday practices and the festive family fun as well, in a jolly story about the holiday season. It won't take more than a few lines for savvy primary graders to identify the rhyme scheme of this story as the famous format of the folksong "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly," used so prolifically by author Lucille Colandro's and artist Jared Lee's holiday and seasonal series, such as There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! (see reviews here). With an unusually early Hanukkah coming up this year, be sure to make room in the holiday readings for this different and clever story.

Says Booklist, "The strong rhyme scheme and repetition in this Hanukkah tale will soon have young listeners chanting along!"

Through the Woods to Bubbe's Cottage: Little Red Ruthie--A Hanukkah Tale by Gloria Koster

Little Ruthie is merry. It's cold and snowy outside, but wearing her poofy red parka with its cozy hood, she sets out through the woods to her Bubbe's house, thinking warm thoughts and carrying a basket with sour cream and applesauce for the special latkes she and her grandmother always make during Hanukkah.

All is merry and bright as Little Red Ruthie skips through the forest until, as it starts snowing heavily, she makes a wrong turn on the path.

RUTHIE FINDS HERSELF FACE TO FACE WITH A WOLF!

"LITTLE GIRL, I'M GOING TO EAT YOU UP!" SAID THE WOLF.

BUT IT WAS HANUKKAH. RUTHIE WANTED TO BE AS BRAVE AS THE MACCABEES!

Ruthie knows she must also be clever, so she opens her coat and shows the wolf how skinny she is, but promises that after she eats lots of latkes for the next eight days, she'll make a much bigger meal.

"I'LL BE AS ROUND AS A PANCAKE THEN!"

The wolf agrees to the deal, but stealthily takes a shortcut to Bubbe's cottage. On the door there is a message from Bubbe' for Ruthie, saying she is shopping for a Hanukkah treat and will be back shortly. The wolf tries to door and, finding it unlocked, goes inside to wait for both of them to return, amusing himself while he waits by trying on Bubbe's best dresses. But Ruthie arrives before Bubbe and has to be both brave and clever. She offers to make the wolf some fine latkes as hors d'oeuvres before the feast. The wolf says he's too hungry to wait for her to fry the latkes in oil.

"SKIP THE FRYING!" HE GROWLS.

But Ruthie insists on telling the story about why the oil is the most important part of Hanukkah, and the ravenous wolf eats latkes as fast as little Ruthie can fry them up. In fact, by the time Bubbe returns, the wolf is no longer hungry at all.

In fact, he's feeling quite BARFY!

Notice: No little girls or innocent grandmothers are harmed in Gloria Koster's jolly holiday parody of the Little Red Riding Hood tale, Little Red Ruthie: A Hanukkah Tale (Albert Whitman).

This lighthearted spoof of the popular Red Riding Hood trope lends itself well to the story of Hanukkah and the reason latkes are the festive food for this holiday. Jolly illustrations by Sue Eastland extend the droll text with great good humor in which even the wolf is funny. For sophisticated primary students who know their December celebrations, share this one with Eric Kimmel's and Trina Schart Hyman's Caldecott-winning Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins: 25th Anniversary Edition. And for more tasty Hanukkah stories for the season, here's a virtual platter from which you can help yourself to all you want here.

OY! WayToo Many Latkes: A Hanukkah Story in Chelm by Linda Glaser

Everyone in Chelm agrees that when it comes to latkes for Hanukkah, Faigel makes the best in her village. But this year, Faigel can't remember her special recipe! Her husband comes in with a big basket of fresh potatoes. Even he knows she needs potatoes to make latkes.

"BUT HOW MANY?" MOANED FAIGEL.

I'LL ASK THE RABBI," SAID SHMUEL.

"WHAT DOES A RABBI KNOW? BUBKES! NOTHING!" WAILED FAIGLE.

"HE IS THE WISEST MAN IN CHELM," INSISTED SHMUEL.

The rabbi of Chelm's stomach is already rumbling at the thought of crispy Hanukkah latkes when Shmuel arrives with his question: How many potatoes does Faigel need for her latkes?

"ALL OF THEM!" PRONOUNCED THE RABBI. "THAT'S WHAT POTATOES ARE FOR AT HANUKKAH!"

"YOU ARE SO WISE" SAID SHMUEL.

Soon Faigel has peeled and grated the whole batch of potatoes. Now she needs chopped onions. But how many for such a lot of potatoes?

Back goes Shmuel to ask the wise Rabbi, who says she should chop all she's got. On Hanukkah, onions are meant for latkes. Weeping from the onions, Faigel chops and chops. But now Faigel has no idea how many eggs she needs to mix in this huge batch of latkes.

"HOW MANY HAVE YOU GOT?" THE RABBI SAID.

Shmuel can hardly believe what the Rabbi is saying, but back he goes, and Faigel mixes and stirs and begins to fry up latkes. Soon she's up to her eyebrows in delicious golden cakes. But how can Faigel and Shmuel EAT so many? They only have two mouths, you know. Back to the Rabbi's house goes Shmuel.

"THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS TOO MANY LATKES!" CRIES THE RABBI. "YOU NEED MORE MOUTHS!

And the rabbi calls out the whole village of Chelm, mouths and all, and along with the wisest of rabbis, nobody's stomach is grumbling that day as they finish off Faigel and Shmuel's latkes together.

And on Hanukkah, that's what mouths are for, in Linda Glaser's comic tale of the famous foolish people of Chelm, in her Way Too Many Latkes: A Hanukkah in Chelm (KAR-BEN Books). Humorously and deliciously illustrated by Aleksandar Zolotic, in elaborate and charming scenes of manic cookery, this story of too much of a good thing is a tasty treat for the holiday season, one that makes even people who've never had a latke long for one--or more. Share this one with Tomie de Paola's similarly-themed and delightful noodle tale, of the foolish helper who tries out the magic pasta pot and happily fills his little town with pasta for everyone, Strega Nona.