(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Mola. Danielito is visiting his Bobe for Janucá. He doesn’t have a trompo to play with the neighborhood kids, but Bobe supplies a dreidel. A chase through town after both types of spinning tops provides shared glee, followed by shared buñuelos and latkes. Illustrations with varied compositions spotlight Bobe’s neighborhood in this relatable story about wanting to fit in and embracing individuality. An appended note provides background about the holiday and the Jewish community in Mexico, including some linguistic context (e.g., Bobe is a Spanish transliteration of the Yiddish Bubbe).

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) PS Illustrated by Maria Mola. A little girl plays with her stuffed animals, dolls, and pets throughout the year. All sport weather-appropriate clothing as they engage in seasonal activities (e.g., in el verano, Maya wears gafas de sol and her traje de baño at the swimming pool). The fluid rhyming text sprinkled with Spanish vocabulary is engaging and easily deciphered through context and visual clues in the bright illustrations.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Mola. Youngest child Lila tries to help her koala family prepare for Shabbat, but she keeps making a mess. Finally, she offers to make the challah; she practices all week, and after several failed attempts, Lila bakes a delicious challah with a special koala-perfect ingredient: eucalyptus. Gehl's story offers a unique perspective on a weekly ritual, and Mola's textured illustrations reinforce the warm, supportive family environment.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Mola. At a dreidel-making workshop, Jeremy decides to make a Braille dreidel for his blind father, which occasions the provision of much information about how blind people communicate and get around. There is also much info about Hanukkah and its miracles; directions for making dreidels, rules for playing with them, and the Braille alphabet are appended. The illustrations are agreeably homey.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012