(2) PS Illustrated by Feronia Parker-Thomas. Optimal latke preparation and dipping sauce are often the subject of friendly debate. Here, the debaters are the latkes themselves, shown in the cheerful colored-pencil illustrations with simple faces, limbs, and even accessories. Are red, yellow, or gold potatoes best? What's the superior ­frying substance? (Yellow Potato's answer, chicken schmaltz, combined with its dunk into the sour cream might raise questions for kosher-keeping readers about mixing meat and dairy.) The cat is a qualified judge, and luckily (for the feline!) the latkes seem unbothered by being test subjects. An appealingly silly holiday side dish--just don't get too attached to the potato-based protagonists. A latke recipe with lots of options is appended, but it doesn't settle the debate, either.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jim Starr. Jewish giant Samson bakes an enormous challah for Rosh Hashanah and in the process creates some U.S. landmarks (e.g., his mixing bowl is the freshly dug Grand Canyon). "Big Sam" also repairs some natural environments he damaged while baking (after all, the Jewish New Year is about "mending the world") before celebrating with figures from American folklore. Lush paintings illustrate this entertaining if overtly instructive holiday tall tale.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Mónica Gutierrez. Little Red Rosie is baking challah for Rosh Hashanah, and Toucan, Parrot, and Hornbill enthusiastically offer to help with every step (unlike the characters in the story's presumed inspiration, "The Little Red Hen"). The text, in which Rosie patiently encourages the birds, is tedious and saccharine, but the bright illustrations add humor by showing Rosie's well-meaning helpers making a huge mess.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Surducan. On Erev Rosh Hashanah, an African American soldier leaves a tarnished horn with an antiques-store-owning white Jewish family for safekeeping; as the once-struggling family does good deeds, they prosper and the horn glows brighter. Despite its modern-feeling setting, this fable maintains the tone of a classic Elijah tale. Glowing, gold-tinged illustrations fit the story well. An appended note discusses Kimmel's inspiration.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Ivica Stevanovic. Twins Scarlett and Sam's Passover seder comes alive when they time-travel to ancient Egypt. There, they meet the obstinate Pharaoh, watch the Egyptians experience the Ten Plagues, and help Moses and Aaron bring the Jews out of slavery. Accompanied by off-putting full-page caricatures highlighting the major plot points, the text effectively conveys to young readers the significance of the Exodus.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erik Brooks. In this Texan retelling of "The Gingerbread Man," a feisty tortilla jumps off the griddle and runs through the desert, pursued by a growing number of people and animals. Kimmel's retelling is entertaining, but most impressive is how the English text seamlessly incorporates Spanish words through humorous repetition. Brooks's lively cartoon illustrations in sandy hues portray a dusty desert landscape.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. This original story in the tradition of Yiddish tales about Hershel Ostropolier is welcome as a Hanukkah story and as a trickster tale. Hershel rids a village of goblins that are haunting a synagogue, preventing the villagers from celebrating Hanukkah. Hyman's illustrations capture Hershel's humor and earthy, peasant quality. This anniversary edition of the Caldecott Honor book includes afterwords by the author and the publisher.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1990

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Trueman. Young immigrant Simon travels to America aboard a ship that sinks on Hanukkah. He gives another passenger his lifeboat spot and camps out on an iceberg. Sharing latkes with a polar bear pays off in body heat and fish; his Hanukkah candles catch the attention of a passing ship. Illustrations with frequent images of light in darkness evoke the Hanukkah spirit.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. In this revised, newly illustrated edition of The Chanukkah Guest, ninety-seven-year-old Bubba Brayna is known for her delicious latkes but not for her eagle eyes or keen hearing. When a hungry bear stumbles into her home, she mistakes it for the rabbi and treats it like an honored guest. The silly folkloric setup plays out well in the vivacious acrylic illustrations. Latke recipe appended.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith. Little Red Hot, her sick Grandma, and conniving wolf Señor Lobo star in this Texas version of "Little Red Riding Hood." Red Hot has a weakness for chili peppers, and it's with her hot pepper pie that the scheming wolf gets his comeuppance. Warm-hued mixed-media illustrations add dashes of humor to this slapstick retelling with a distinct Southwestern flair.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Manders. Jack's father died of a broken heart after a giant stole his barbecue cookbook. Now Jack wants restitution. This Southwestern-fried "Jack and the Beanstalk" retelling expends so much effort on local (in this case, West Texas) flavor that it fails to serve a satisfying meal. Still, it's got regional appeal and is fun to read aloud. Manders's caricaturish illustrations add zing.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Glass. Kimmel distills Melville's hefty novel into short stanzas of rhyming verse. Glass's striking turquoise-toned paintings do a grand job of capturing the scale of the sea and the whale. All in all, however, this scant treatment reduces the classic novel of tragic obsession into a surprisingly cheerful and gently humorous reminder to "respect all creatures, great and small, and leave the whales alone!" Glos.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) 4-6 Omar, armed with internet research, convinces his family to get him a pet corn snake despite his mother's phobia. Chaos and hijinks ensue when Arrow gets loose in the house. At times, the book reads like a manual on snake care and a lesson on overcoming phobia, but Omar and his family are likable enough to propel this quick read.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Martina Peluso. Joseph is a generous, humble man who always helps his neighbors and shares his Sabbath meal. In contrast, his neighbor Judah is selfish and closed-off. This Jewish folktale's lessons about the benefits of sharing and the detriment of greed are evident without resorting to preachiness. Warm, rich-hued illustrations flow elegantly from page to page.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Valeria Docampo. Three little anthropomorphized tamales are terrorized by Señor Lobo in this Latino takeoff on "The Three Little Pigs." The tamales have got character, as shown in Docampo's motion-filled oil illustrations, and the wolf is hilarious, especially as he tries to penetrate the third little tamale's secure cactus fortress. Kimmel's text is eminently readable, as usual. Glos.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) 1-3 Stepping Stone series. Illustrated by Jim Madsen. Young Ehrich "Harry" Weiss is entranced by the circus. He sneaks off with his brother to experiment with acts of his own, losing two teeth in the process. Details like Harry's interest in picking locks help set the stage for his future life as Houdini. The story also stands alone as a tale of boyish hijinks, reflected in Madsen's spirited black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Janet Stevens. Trickster Anansi invites Turtle to a party but neglects to provide him with crucial details; by the time slow Turtle makes his way home and back for each correction, the party's over. Tit-for-tat, Turtle invites Anansi to his house... In Kimmel's fifth Anansi entry, text and illustrations create an easy-to-follow narrative and lots of laughs (check out Turtle's pink bunny suit).

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Vincent Nguyen. In this Little Black Sambo takeoff, Little Britches, on her way to the rodeo, encounters rattlesnakes who threaten to "s-s-swaller" her up. The clever cowgirl trades them items of clothing, and the rattlers argue over who's finest. Little Britches's resourcefulness is to be commended, and the earthy palette of the funny illustrations of snakes in Western gear complements the desert setting.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katya Krenina. "Two brothers once lived in the land of Israel." Eben is wealthy but selfish; Ezra, poor but generous. When patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob return to earth, in disguise, for Sukkot, the harvest festival, they visit the brothers and reward each one according to his welcome. The gracefully told tale is illustrated with glowing acrylics.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pep Montserrat. This book focuses on minor gods and heroes of ancient Greek mythology, deftly handling such stories as "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Echo and Narcissus." Kimmel's text is clear and accessible (though, compared with the classic d'Aulaire, largely sanitized). Montserrat's angular digital illustrations are visually enticing enough for younger readers while incorporating a tongue-in-cheek humor older readers will enjoy.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess