Book picks similar to
Larry's Latkes by Jenna Waldman


picture-books
children-s
hannukah
ages-5-6

The Gilboa Iris


Zahava D. Englard - 2012
    When the Harows are targeted by a terror cell in hot pursuit of technology not yet found in any country's arsenal, Dara finds herself at the center of a hierarchy of terror that threatens her life and the lives of those she loves. The Gilboa Iris is a blazing tale of romance, deceit and international intrigue. Its rich characters and explosive plot take readers from Israel's Gilboa Mountains to the streets of New York, to Germany's Zehlendorf Forest, and back to Israel amid seminal events that rocked the world between 1983 and 2002.

Knock, Knock! Who's There?: My First Book of Knock Knock Jokes


Tad Hills - 2000
    Pull back the flaps and find out each hilarious punch line in this classic collection of knock-knock jokes!

The Parakeet Named Dreidel


Isaac Bashevis Singer - 2015
    He lets the parakeet in and everyone is delighted to find that it speaks Yiddish. They name it Dreidel and it becomes part of their family. Many years later, when David is in college, he is at a party one night and tells Dreidel's story—only to discover that Zelda, a young woman at the party, owned the bird herself as a child. Papa and Mama are worried that they will have to give their beloved pet back, but then David and Zelda decide to get married after college, and everyone agrees that they should take Dreidel with them as they start their own family.

Ladybug Girl Dresses Up!


David Soman - 2010
    All dressed up with everywhere to go, Ladybug Girl Dresses Up! (Board Book) is a darling and charmingly illustrated book - presented in a board book format for younger readers - that follows Ladybug Girl as she embarks on dress-up adventures. Browse the pages below (click on any image to enlarge) and watch how Ladybug Girl's imagination takes flight.

Elmo Loves You


Sarah Albee - 1997
    And, as Elmo loves to remind readers throughout the book, to toddler's delight, “Elmo loves you!” While this is a great present for Valentine’s Day, it's also a sweet, reassuring poem about love that kids will enjoy year round.

Dear Yeti


James Kwan - 2015
    But as their trip goes on, the hikers find that they have not prepared very well, and though their morale is high, food supplies are low, the forest is getting darker, and a snowstorm looms. Luckily Yeti is a friend they can rely on, and though he's not ready to come out of hiding, he sneakily finds a way to get the hikers exactly what they need when they need it. A sweet and whimsical story of a perfect kid-sized winter adventure, Dear Yeti is the debut picture book of an author/illustrator to watch.

Deep In The Woods


Christopher Corr - 2015
    

Trevor


Jim Averbeck - 2018
    And on the end of that branch? Another canary! But he’s so shy and quiet.Trevor knows just how to make him feel comfortable.This is an elegantly told, truly unique tale of a canary who befriends a lemon and finds that you don’t have to be two of a kind to form a meaningful and lasting friendship.

Good Night, Wind


Linda Elovitz Marshall - 2019
    But no one wants to shelter so cold and blustery a Wind--not the townspeople, not the country innkeeper, not even the gnarled tree who is worried about frozen roots. Finally, Wind does what any of us do when we are overtired: Wind has a tantrum. And it is only with the help of two small children brave enough to weather the storm that Wind finally finds the perfect place to sleep. Gentle language coupled with intricate photo-illustrations of collage dioramas tell this sweet tale about empathy and friendship. The visuals in this book are striking for their vibrancy, palette, and movement.

Mouse Guard: Belly of the Beast


David Petersen - 2006
    Thus the Mouse Guard was formed. They are not simply soldiers that fight off intruders; rather, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden mouse village to another. The Guard patrol borders, find safeways and paths through dangerous territories and treacherous terrain, watch weather patterns, and keep the mouse territories free of predatory infestation. They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live. In this first issue of Mouse Guard, Saxon, Kenzie, and Lieam are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse that never arrived at his destination. In doing so they stumble onto much more than they had bargained for.

Kali's Song


Jeanette Winter - 2012
    Kali must learn to hunt, like the rest of the men in his tribe. But when Kali plucks the string on his bow, he forgets about shooting arrows, and makes music long into the night. Even the stars come close to listen. This lovely story celebrates the uniqueness in all of us, the beauty of the natural world, and the power of music and art over violence. According to the New York Times, it "will resonate with all young children who seek to find their path in the world—and may perhaps be a bit wary of other people’s expectations."

When the Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall


Jean Reidy - 2019
    Find a frosty window./ Watch the flakes fall./ Look! The snow is deeper than my toes are tall.With young, rhyming verse and bright illustrations, Jean Reidy and Joey Chou capture the joy and excitement of a big snowfall. As the snow climbs over a boy's toes, ankles, shins, and boots, there's more and more fun to be had—snowmen, sledding, snow angels, and, finally, a cup of hot cocoa by a warm fire.

Suddenly Jewish: Jews Raised as Gentiles Discover Their Jewish Roots


Barbara Kessel - 2000
    One man as he was studying for the priesthood. Madeleine Albright famously learned from the Washington Post when she was named Secretary of State. "What is it like to find out you are not who you thought you were?" asks Barbara Kessel in this compelling volume, based on interviews with over 160 people who were raised as non-Jews only to learn at some point in their lives that they are of Jewish descent. With humor, candor, and deep emotion, Kessel's subjects discuss the emotional upheaval of refashioning their self-image and, for many, coming to terms with deliberate deception on the part of parents and family. Responses to the discovery of a Jewish heritage ranged from outright rejection to wholehearted embrace. For many, Kessel reports, the discovery of Jewish roots confirmed long-held suspicions or even, more mysteriously, conformed to a long-felt attraction toward Judaism. For some crypto-Jews in the southwest United States (descendants of Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition), the only clues to their heritage are certain practices and traditions handed down through the generations, whose significance may be long since lost. In Poland and other parts of eastern Europe, many Jews who were adopted as infants to save them from the Holocaust are now learning of their heritage through the deathbed confessions of their adoptive parents. The varied responses of these disparate people to a similar experience, presented in their own words, offer compelling insights into the nature of self-knowledge. Whether they had always suspected or were taken by surprise, Kessel's respondents report that confirmation of their Jewish heritage affected their sense of self and of their place in the world in profound ways. Fascinating, poignant, and often very funny, Suddenly Jewish speaks to crucial issues of identity, selfhood, and spiritual community.

Hair Story


NoNieqa Ramos - 2021
    Written in rhythmic verse, this picture book follows two friends, a non-Black Boricua girl and a Black girl, as others first try to tame their tresses and eventually celebrate their gorgeous, natural hair.

My Love for You is the Sun


Julie Hedlund - 2014
    "This book belongs on the shelf right between GOODNIGHT MOON and GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU." -- NYT-Bestselling Author Emma Walton HamiltonWith soothing verses evoking the beauty and wonder of the natural world, combined with stunning, hand-sculpted clay illustrations, parents and children will cuddle up with this book and read it again and again.