Stone Lamp, The: Eight Stories Of Hanukkah Through History [Hardcover]

Karen Hesse (Author), Brian Pinkney (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 4 and up

The story of Hanukkah is the story of triumph of light over darkness, of the small miracles that give hope to an entire people. In a series of eight powerful and evocative free-verse poems, award-winning author Karen Hesse captures the resilient spirit of the Jewish people through the voices of eight children at Hanukkah. The children-from Tamara in 12th-century England and Jeremie in 13th-century France to Havva in 17th-century Turkey and Ori in 20th-century Israel-have all experienced loss and hardship. But they are united by love, family, and their cherished stone lamp. The stone lamp provides each with comfort and hope, for every time its wicks are lit, the endurance of the Jewish people is re-illumined.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Highlighting eight moments of crisis for the Jewish people in almost as many different centuries, this soul-searching, handsomely produced book is clearly important. It is not, however, festive. Newbery Medalist Hesse (Out of the Dust) imagines a child speaker for each of eight poems, one for each night of the celebration. For example, Tamara, in 1190 York, weeps as she chops onions and remembers her father, recently slain by mobs, then triumphs over despair (holding her baby brother, she says, "Though we have lost much/ yet this much remains"). Paired with each poem is text explaining each tragic episode, from the Inquisition to Kristallnacht; a tag after each poem limns each fictional speaker's fate. Pinkney (Alvin Ailey) supplies some of his most striking work to date, capturing the luminosity of the holiday not just through the lights of candles or starry skies, but in the natural radiance of his characters.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Hesse takes eight crucial, painful periods in Jewish history and, for each one, shines a light on one child's thoughts during Hanukkah. A brief explanation of the timeframe, from the Crusades to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, is followed by free-verse poems written in the first person, offering a child's viewpoint. In 1665, for instance, a 16-year-old Jewish girl in Turkey lifts her voice in song with her neighbors on Hanukkah after the man they had been planning to follow to the Holy Land turned out to be a false Messiah. Some of these episodes are well known, some are not, but all are intriguing, and the personal perspective of each young narrator adds special resonance to the meaning of Hanukkah. The rich paintings, full of warmth and light, complement the text without overwhelming it. A unique and moving book that should be shared year-round.-E. M.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (September 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786806192
• ISBN-13: 978-0786806195
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #843,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Jewish

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Grim and poorly written, March 11, 2007

By 

Lydia Joyce - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stone Lamp, The: Eight Stories Of Hanukkah Through History (Hardcover)

I loved the idea of this book, and the cover was gorgeous. But the actual contents are exceptionally grim and are written in horrible "poetry," each told from the point of view of a child ruminating about his or her gruesome circumstances. The result is writing that is both depressing and static, and the "stories" aren't stories at all but the stream-of-consciousness thoughts of a child over the span of about five minutes.

Unfortunately, the only attractive picture is the one on the cover, so not even the illustrations can save it.

Alternative:
Esther's Story by by Diane Wolkstein

Truly jaw-dropping pictures and a fabulous retelling of the story.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Triumphs Over Evil, April 11, 2008

By 

Avid Reader (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stone Lamp, The: Eight Stories Of Hanukkah Through History (Hardcover)

I found this book in the library recently, and after reading it last night, I went online to order my own copy. The author beautifully and movingly traces the triumph of good over evil through the centuries. The glowing paintings underscore the love of Judaism that kept each storyteller strong in the face of adversity and committed to the fight for survival. I look forward to creating a new tradition this Hanukkah by reading one story each night with my family.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars You can't tell a book by its (inviting) cover, December 8, 2011

By 

HanaBluma - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stone Lamp, The: Eight Stories Of Hanukkah Through History (Hardcover)

The author admits that she wanted to write a "Hannukah book spanning the centuries, but hardly knew where to begin."

And the results demonstrate that she really didn't know much. I can't imagine a child in the recommended age groups being engaged by this book. Its eight pieces of "history" are truncated and disjointed, its poetry tedious, and its connection to Chanukah forced.

Some of the narrative makes no sense: why would a father "whisper" to his child the words of Rashi - the great biblical commentator - to comfort him after lighting a Chanukah lamp? Why, in fact, is the Chanukah link a lamp instead of the eight lights traditionally kindled throughout the ages? And why does the book end with the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin, in a brief tale in which the author conjures up the moral equivalence of Arab terrorists with the lone assassin who - she falsely informs her readers - was part of the "Jewish extremists (who)sabotaged Israel's overtures of reconciliation with its Arab neighbors". Ah. So Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria et al would be at peace with Israel if only it weren't for those "Jewish extremists."

It's a good thing this book is now cheap. It really is worth only the lovely paper it's printed on.