Holidays Around the World

The Night Before Hanukkah 

Written by: Natasha Wing

Illustrated by: Amy Wummer

Published by: The Penguin Group, 2014

32 pages

Diverse

   The night before the eight days of Hanukkah is very exciting, especially for the little ones. Children can hardly wait for chocolate gelts, preparing latkes, playing dreidel, exchanging gifts, and lighting candles. 

   Wummer’s illustrations are cartoonish, which engages young readers quickly. She uses several shades of blue to create a calming effect that represents a peaceful holiday spent with family. Blue is also the color of the accents on the Israeli flag which makes this Jewish tradition feel more special to readers.

   It is very important that teachers celebrate other cultures’ holidays and not just their own. This book would be excellent to share with a first grade class covering the following Social Studies standard:

11) Identify traditions and contributions of various cultures in the local community and state.

After reading this book, I would have the students research how other countries celebrate “Christmas time”.  After collecting information, students would create brochures of foods and activities that relate to the specific holiday. If possible, I would find local families that celebrate the holidays that we researched and have them share something special their family does during this time. 

   I love how this book is setup. It has the same tone as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”, so most of the children can compare this to a story they have heard before.