Customer Reviews

Four Sides, Eight Nights: A New Spin on Hanukkah

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This guidebook to dreidels in particular and Hanukkah in general is a breath of fresh air. The history, science, art, and music of dreidels are all addressed. Explanations of Hanukkah's history and current customs provide context. Sidebars provide extra information, and spot illustrations are often used to expand upon the text. Jewish history, values, and spirituality are all addressed. The violence of some of the history is mentioned, but descriptions are not graphic.

The tone is friendly and accessible without being condescending. While slightly confusing, the multiple voices describing various family customs add a hands-on feeling to the book. In the promised "new spin," the author suggests the top eight betting units for playing dreidel, everything from macadamia nuts (sounds like "Maccabees") to the traditional gelt. She also suggests alternative ingredients to fry up as latkes, such as crushed pineapple! If a bit of a stretch, such ideas are also refreshingly creative.

Chapter 3, "How to Play" is more about style of play than instruction. Surprisingly, the book offers no explicit directions. Astute readers, however, will notice the sidebar at the beginning of Chapter 2 that explains "The Dreidel Code" and will be able to figure out the rules from that. Also surprisingly, the book includes no instructions for making one's own dreidel.

The black and white sketch illustrations are charming. The anonymous characters are highly expressive, and a multicultural cast is portrayed, sometimes in kippot, sometimes not.

This unique book would be a perfect holiday gift for the child who always wants to know "why?" and "how does it work?" It also offers an easily digestible explanation of Hanukkah for non-Jewish readers, attractively entering the subject through the topic of play. Recommended for Jewish and non-Jewish libraries serving children.

This book was named a 2006 Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content by the Association of Jewish Libraries. To hear an interview with the author, tune in to the December 2005 episode of the podcast The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

This book was fun to read. It is playful, informative, and inspirational. Lots of intriguing tidbits are mixed in with good stories. Find out how the dreidel saved lives! Word play throughout makes the book even more fun. It is a nice blend of history and science and customs. I bought it for my kids and all of my nieces and nephews. It helps to deepen understanding of hanukkah in a fun way. And both the author's and illustrator's styles were fresh and accessible. A very good book!

Four Sides, Eight Nights is a delightful book that celebrates the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah. It's sure to please children with its wit and charming pictures, and in truth, adults will enjoy it, too. This book is a perfect gift, and I plan to give several.