(4) K-3 Illustrated by Iryna Bodnaruk. Overnight in a dreidel-maker's shop, cartoony anthropomorphized Hebrew letters--the Heys, Nuns, and Shins--hatch a jealous plot to hide all the fourth and game-winning letters, the Gimels. After learning the importance of all four letters to the traditional Hanukkah game, the guilty letters have a change of heart. A mildly amusing holiday story hampered by contrived and didactic explanations.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Martha Avilés. On the anniversary of his grandfather's death, a boy and his family gather in the cemetery to unveil his gravestone according to Jewish tradition. In remembering his grandpa, the boy recognizes that "memories of someone you love never get lost." Without a plot, this serves only as bibliotherapy; soothing blue- and green-hued illustrations reinforce the reassuring if slightly saccharine text.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith