Runaway Dreidel! [Hardcover]

Lesléa Newman (Author), Kyrsten Brooker (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

A fantastical Chanukah journey

"'Twas the first night of Chanukah and on the fifth floor,
There was holiday hustling and bustling galore . . .
Grandma was slicing up two chocolate babkas,
Grandpa was grating potatoes for latkes."

On the first night of Chanukah a lucky boy receives a shiny new dreidel, but once it starts spinning it just won’t stop! With a mind of its own, the dreidel spins quickly across the floor, out the door, and on down the street, with its excited owner and family in hot pursuit. Soon the whole city joins the chase to catch the runaway toy. Where is that dreidel heading, and will it ever stop spinning? This is one journey worth pursuing right up to its magical conclusion!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set to the cadences of "The Night Before Christmas" ("Twas the first night of Chanukah and on the fifth floor/ There was holiday bustling and bustling galore"), Newman's (Matzo Ball Moon) verse narrative describes a runaway dreidel that finds a home in the night sky. The chief virtue of this forgettable tale may be its having occasioned more of Brooker's (Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street) idiosyncratic mixed-media art, oil paintings into which she seamlessly applies cut-paper photo elements. Everything in these illustrations is affectionately skewed, from the slightly oversize heads of the characters to the Brooklynesque street scenes occasioned by the boy narrator's pursuit of the toy. The dynamically dizzy world happily challenges readers to stay on their toes. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-This rollicking rhyme begins, "'Twas the first night of Chanukah and on the fifth floor,/There was holiday hustling and bustling galore." In the midst of it all, a dreidel escapes from a boy's hands and precipitates a wild chase out onto the street, into the country, and over the ocean, ultimately spinning into outer space. This humorous picture book introduces children to aspects of the holiday by using terms such as latkes, menorah, and the letters on the dreidel. Told in rhyming couplets, the tale holds storytelling appeal in both text and humorous illustrations. Chagall-like oil paintings and cut-paper art lend an Old World feel to the story. Although the author gives a nod to "The Night before Christmas" in the first and last lines, this story is really more akin to "The Gingerbread Boy."-I. A.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (October 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805062378
• ISBN-13: 978-0805062373
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,252,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lesléa Newman is the author of 64 books for readers of all ages including the middle grade novel, HACHIKO WAITS, the poetry collection, STILL LIFE WITH BUDDY, the short story collection, A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK, and the children's books A SWEET PASSOVER, THE BOY WHO CRIED FABULOUS, THE BEST CAT IN THE WORLD, DONOVAN'S BIG DAY, and HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Her literary awards include poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. A past poet laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts, she is a faculty member of Spalding University's brief-residency MFA in Writing program.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spirited Chanukah Romp....., November 24, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Runaway Dreidel! (Hardcover)

"'Twas the first night of Chanukah and on the fifth floor,/There was holiday hustling and bustling galore./Papa was shining the silver menorah,/Mama was wrapping a gift for Aunt Dora./Grandma was slicing up two chocolate babkas,/Grandpa was grating potatoes for latkes./Sister was stirring the soup with a ladle,/And I at her feet spun my shiny new dreidel..." And with that our young narrator's holiday top takes off, spinning, out of control, through the apartment, down the stairs and through the city streets, on out to the country, past farms and valleys, over the ocean and up to the sky, where it becomes a glittering star..... Leslea Newman's engaging, rollicking, chain of events text is filled with lilting rhyme, rhythm, energy, and joy. Kyrsten Brooker's clever, sparkling multi-media artwork is bold and busy, and rich in vibrant color, wonderful facial expressions, and humorous, eye-catching detail. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, Runaway Dreidel! is a captivating, fun-filled, celebratory romp. "Happy Chanukah to all, and to all a good night."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a nice addition to the Hanukah collection, October 6, 2002

By 

Larry Mark "editor of MyJewishBooks.com" (nyc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Runaway Dreidel! (Hardcover)

With nods to "Twas the night before" and the Runaway Ginderbread Man and Runaway Ricecake, etc, this is a rhyming story about the cultural celebration of Hanukkah, a celebration of grated potatoes, family and dreidels. A boy plays with a shiny new dreidel, that spins and spins out the door; spinning past challahs that are two for a dollah... Spins from city to country to ocean to sky, with fun illustrations along the way.

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute book, October 9, 2010

By 

Parkhurst "Terry loves books" (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Runaway Dreidel! (Paperback)

This book makes mention of various holiday traditions (the menorah,latkes) briefly in a light, playful rhyme. While I would not use this book to "teach" about Hanukkah (the details of its inception or its various symbols), it is a fun book to read aloud o children.