When Mindy Saved Hanukkah [Hardcover]

Eric Kimmel (Author), Barbara McClintock (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Once upon a time, a little family named Klein lived behind a crack in the wall in the Eldridge Street Synagogue. This is the warm, lively story of the year that brave little Mindy brought home the Hanukkah candle. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Klein family--little people reminiscent of The Borrowers--live behind the walls of the famous Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York City at the turn of the century. On the day before Hanukkah, Papa ventures out to "borrow" a candle from the synagogue so it can be melted down into tiny candles for the family's miniature menorah. What a disaster! The synagogue's new cat ("a fierce Antiochus of a cat!" Papa claims) pounces on him, leaving him wounded and shaken. How will the Kleins obtain a holiday candle with this killer cat on the loose? Despite the borrowing of a familiar premise (little folks furtively living among humans), award-winning author Eric A. Kimmel (Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins) offers a playful and original springboard for introducing children to the characters, historical landmarks, and symbols of Judaism. For example, when young Mindy volunteers to save Hanukkah (risking an encounter with the cat), she climbs a "lulav" (a palm branch left over from Sukkot) in order to find the candles. When Mindy's wee grandfather saves her from the cat's claws, he is compared to Maccabee, the leader who recaptured Jerusalem from the Greeks. Barbara McClintock's old-fashioned black ink and watercolor paintings, evocative of turn-of-the-century book illustrations, are the perfect accompaniment to this lively, suspenseful tale. (Click to see a sample spread. Text copyright ©1998 by Eric A. Kimmel. Illustrations copyright ©1998 by Barbara McClintock. Permission by Scholastic Press.) (Ages 3 to 8) --Gail Hudson

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?The miniature-sized Kleins live behind the walls of the Eldridge Street Synagogue. It's the day before Hanukkah and the family is preparing for its holiday celebration. When Papa stumbles through the door, his clothing torn and without a candle, they learn that the synagogue has gotten a cat. Brave little Mindy then volunteers to venture out to find a candle, despite the danger. Eventually, the child encounters the dreaded beast, but is able to escape, thanks to the help of her resourceful grandfather.The human-sized candle is melted down to provide the family with ample lights to observe Hanukkah. The story and pictures are a perfect combination; with a humorous text and exquisite watercolor, black-ink, and gouache illustrations. Minute details and clever touches abound. The Kleins make use of human-sized objects?a pocket watch serves as a clock, and stamps make lovely pictures. The double-paged inside view of the synagogue is breathtaking. A spirited story with a diminutive heroine whose courage speaks volumes.?MMH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590371363
• ISBN-13: 978-0590371360
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,494,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Channukah book you will enoy reading to your kids., November 2, 1999

By 

Anonymous "Mom of 3" (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When Mindy Saved Hanukkah (Hardcover)

We have about 10 Channukah books at our house, but none come close to capturing the spirit of this holiday evident in "When Mindy Saved Hanukkah." The story presumes a knowledge of the reason for Channukah-so you still need at least one other good book about the story of Channukah. But this book can stand on its own as an example of heroics, a model of family, and a spirit of giving. My kids love this book and we read it all year long, but because of the well written prose and the wry way the story unfolds, I enjoy it every time, as much as they do. Even more importantly, my kids sort of believe this story and my 3 year old son insists we look for the cat in the sanctuary at our synangogue, since he reasons one must exist in every temple.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great holiday story, December 17, 2008

By 

M. Frank "mom of A&E" (Oakton, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Mindy Saved Hanukkah (Hardcover)

Here's another charming Hanukkah story by Eric Kimmel. His tales are a nice departure from the run-of-the-mill "story of Hanukkah" or "how to celebrate Hanukkah" books that fill the shelves this time of year. My 5 year old (who liked the Borrowers) enjoyed this tale of a miniature family, and even if he didn't immediately pick up on the parallel between this story and that of the Maccabees (which I thought clever), he liked seeing household items and synagogue artifacts from the perspective of a mouse-sized person, and enjoyed the spirit and joy of the story.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even the tiniest people need to celebrate Hanukkah..., November 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: When Mindy Saved Hanukkah (Hardcover)

If your children enjoy the Littles or the Borrowers, they'll love the Kleins. They are a tiny family living a big family's home and need to gather supplies for the holiday. There's just one problem...the big family owns a cat!